Ukraine envoy ‘disappointed’ by Israel detaining refuge-seekers, wants defensive aid

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-envoy-disappointed-by-israel-detaining-refuge-seekers-wants-defensive-aid/

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said Tuesday he was “disappointed” that some Ukranian refuge-seekers were being detained upon arrival in Israel, and expressed dismay that Israel continues to refuse to provide much-needed helmets and military vests for military and civil protection.

He also brought up Ukrainians who assisted Jews during the Holocaust, saying Israel should now be helping his countrymen too.

“We were disappointed yesterday with a decision of the interior minister [Ayelet Shaked] that explained that [Israel] will not allow Ukrainian refugees to come to Israel,” Korniychuk said at a press conference in Tel Aviv.

Explaining why he believes Israel has a moral imperative to admit Ukrainian refuge-seekers, Korniychuk recalled Ukrainians who helped save Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

“You will remember the times of the Second World War when the Ukrainians were saving massively the Jewish lives during the Holocaust,” said Korniychuk.

He mentioned the fact that Ukraine has the fourth-most Righteous Among the Nations — non-Jews who saved Jewish lives during the war.

“We saved the Jewish lives at that time, we are [asking] you to help the Ukrainians to overcome this strategy [of monetary deposits] now. This is why the issue of the bail of NIS 10,000 or NIS 20,000 is not acceptable. This is a humanitarian catastrophe and I want you to consider that seriously.”