Health Ministry, NSC hope to stop Israeli travel to Uman on Rosh Hashanah
Uman is home to the burial place of Rabbi Nachman, and it is traditional for Breslov hassidim to visit there on the holiday.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANUltra-Orthodox Jewish pilgrims pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during the celebration of Rosh Hashana holiday, the Jewish New Year, in Uman, Ukraine, September 21, 2017.(photo credit: REUTERS)
The National Security Council (NSC) is expected to try to stop thousands of Israelis from flying to Ukraine during the High Holidays, Israel media reported. Instead, a number of options are being considered, such as convincing the hasidim who traditionally gather at the burial place of Rabbi Nachman to forego the trip, preventing the event through the Ukrainian government or simply canceling all flights to Uman.In the coming days, N12 reported, discussions are expected to take place in which officials from the Health and Foreign ministries and the NSC will examine these options.The move comes against the backdrop of a heated discussion Tuesday morning, during which the Health Ministry called on Ukraine to prevent Israelis from traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.Speaking Tuesday at the Knesset coronavirus committee meeting, Dr. Asher Salmon, director of the International Relations Department for the Health Ministry, presented a pessimistic perspective on opening Israel’s skies and said he disapproved of several thousand Israelis traveling to Ukraine for the High Holidays.“Our statistics are getting worse,” he said. “Our infection rate is 10 times the threshold of a ‘green country,’ so, we have a long way to go... Because of the European Union definitions we cannot enter EU countries.”He then said that the Health Ministry feels strongly that the traditional gathering of "a gathering of 30,000 people on a street and a half" - should not be allowed to occur.“The only way to stop this is for the Ukrainian authorities to take the appropriate action,” he said.Regarding opening the skies in general, committee chairwoman Yifat Shasha-Biton said that there should be one law for everyone.She said that if the country knows how to allow 21,000 students to enter Israel then “we need to find a way to get them all in.”Shasha-Biton was referring to a decision made by coronavirus commissioner Prof. Ronni Gamzu on Monday to allow foreign students in the country after discussions with Jewish Agency for Israel chairman Isaac Herzog, Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef from the Population and Immigration Authority and Salmon, as well as representatives from the Council for Higher Education.About 21,000 students are expected to enter the country throughout the year, including some 2,000 university students, 12,000 yeshiva students, 5,000 Masa participants, 500 Naale students and 1,500 students in private institutions.In terms of opening the skies in general, MK Micky Levy said that some 200,000 people make their living in the tourism industry, and they have been unemployed for nearly half a year.“The sky should open tomorrow,” he said. “There are countries in the world that have opened their skies with restrictions, and we can learn from them.”Added Biton: “I understand that from the point of view of the Health Ministry, on August 16, it is possible to give the green light to open the airport to at least the 10 green states. We will ask that by the beginning of next week things be brought to the committee table, presented here also in terms of the outline and make sure that the regulations are indeed established.”An outline for opening the skies is expected to be discussed at the next coronavirus cabinet meeting, which should take place on Wednesday.
