On the eve of Rosh Hashanah the large
Ukrainian delegation of representatives of political and economic ranks arrived
to Israel. The largest visit in the Ukrainian history was organized by the Parliamentary
Association of Ukraine-Israel friendship. Among the 40 delegates, there were 4
ministers and 24 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as public figures and
leading businessmen of Ukraine; the delegation visited the country with a
five-day official visit. The delegation is headed by the co-chairs of the
organization, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada Georgy Logvinsky and Boryslav Rozenblat.
The first day of the visit began with a welcoming
ceremony for Ukrainian representatives at the Ben Gurion Airport. Then the
guests went on a tour to the Old City of Jerusalem. Hence, the delegation
arrived to the Knesset, where, after an information tour in the Israeli
parliament as well as watching a documentary about the history of Israeli main
legislative body, a meeting with the Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein and
the Head of the Parliamentary Association Ukraine-Israel deputy Tali Ploskov
was held. The Ambassador of Ukraine in Israel Hennady Nadolenko and the Honorary
Consul of Israel in Western region of Ukraine Oleg Vyshniakov participated in
the meeting as well. Besides, Yuli Edelstein congratulated Oleg Vyshniakov with
his birthday in front of all the assembled.
The meeting was held in a warm and friendly
atmosphere. The floor was given to the representatives of the Cabinet of
Ministers of Ukraine and Israeli parliamentarians. In his welcoming speech, Yuli
Edelstein emphasized the closeness of the Ukrainian and Jewish people, noting
the fact, that due to the recent political situation in Ukraine, guests of this
friendly country, unfortunately, are not surprised with the problems of
security and tranquility.
“We, like no one other today, realize what
a difficult situation Israel is facing for the last decades - said the Co-chairman
of the Parliamentary Association of Ukraine Georgy Logvinsky. - We are admiring
how a small country throughout its history can resist encroachment on its
independence. That’s why we want to be closer to you, we want you to teach us
how to be proud of our country and how to defend it. Ukraine always supported
the territorial integrity of Israel, and we would like to see Israel supporting
and understing our territorial integrity”.
Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Anna
Onishchenko thanked Israel for the support given to Ukraine in the medical
field, as well as spoke about the opening on the 1st of September, the village
of Hnativka, built on the money of the Jewish community of Ukraine and intended
for refugees from Eastern Ukraine. The opening ceremony of Hnativka, named
after the village of the stories of Sholem Aleichem about Tevye the milkman, had
been attended by the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Azman, who came
together with the Ukrainian delegation to Israel.
At the meeting with Israeli
parliamentarians Ukrainian delegation several times brought up the point concerning
Ukraine's security and possible cooperation in this area with the State of
Israel. Ukrainian politician Boryslav Bereza made a pretty tough statement:
"Today Ukraine has an absolutely enemy who supports the occupation of
Ukraine as well as the separatist forces in the East of the country. For Israel
Russia is not a friend, too. This is a state that supports the Assad regime in
Syria, the regime Hezbollah and other anti-Israel terrorist entities. Boryslav
Bereza drew attention to the fact that Ukraine cannot get Israel’s permission
for selling Israeli drones, while Russia is supplied with these types of
weapons. "We need to change it, you have to be friends in fact, not only
in word, - he stressed. - And Ukraine has always been and will be a friend of
Israel”.
Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein
thanked the orators for the kind words in the address of Israel, and promised
to transfer all the information and request of Ukrainian counterparts to the
Israeli parliament, stressing that it is not just about joint projects and
plans for cooperation in different areas, but also very difficult and perhaps
unpleasant topic.
In conclusion, the Honorary Consul of
Israel in the Western region of Ukraine Oleg Vyshniakov said: "In the
context of recent events in your country, I can say that the hearts of many of
our people are with Ukraine, as a community of immigrants from Ukraine in
Israel is about 500 000 people. These people are worrying and thinking
about what happens in Ukraine. Our task is to report that Ukraine is a great
friend of Israel, and we know that every dollar invested by Israel in Ukraine,
will return a hundredfold. I think that we are brotherly nations and have a
resembling fate”.
Since the meeting between the
representatives of Ukrainian political and business elite took place a few days
before the New Year according to the Jewish calendar, the deputy Tali Ploskov
congratulated all with the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
She wished a sweet New Year and compared
Jewish and Ukrainian people with pomegranate which is the symbol of Rosh
Hashanah: «We are like pomegranate seeds - all together in one fruit. And this
is our power».
Over the next four days in Israel, the
Ukrainian delegation will visit one of the military bases of the Israeli
Defense Force as well as the leading economic forum, in which the leading businessmen
and experts of the Ministry of Economy of Israel will be participating.
Especially for Ukrainian guests, the Israeli side has prepared a trip to the
main attractions of Israel, including a visit to Israeli cities and a gala
concert with the participation of Ukrainian artists.
