The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) CEO Ronnie Gamzu and Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk, last Friday reached an agreement covering emergency medical care for Ukrainian citizens who are currently forced to stay in Israel after fleeing their home country, the Ukrainian embassy’s Facebook page reported.
According to the embassy, “the Israeli side has informed that thanks to the financial assistance of a foreign charitable foundation, this medical center plans to provide assistance to Ukrainian children and women.”
Sure, their English could use an improvement, but the message is clear enough: Ukrainian refugees in Israel will be treated, no questions asked, in one of Israel’s most advanced ER.
The Ambassador took the opportunity to thank the representatives of the Israeli medical industry for the assistance they have already been providing to the affected Ukrainians, and for their commitment to continue doing it in the future.
The ambassador’s demeanor was radically different from what it had been back in March when he threatened to petition Israel’s High Court of Justice to block the policy of Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked on Ukrainian refugees entering the country (Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Petitions High Court Against Refugee Policy, Interior Minister Shaked).
The Ukrainian ambassador also claimed through his Attorney that the word “quotas” in Shaked’s immigration policy served to mask violations of international conventions and international law.
His petition, which he has since withdrawn, read: “The Honorable Court is requested to preserve the existing situation and freeze the introduction of the new policy, which prevents the entry of Ukrainian citizens into Israel until a decision is reached on this petition so that the policy on entry to Israel that grants exemption to Ukrainian citizens, will remain in force.”
Ambassador Korniychuk also told News12 at the time: “Do not pat yourself on the back! It is not easy to get to Israel and it is not the most comfortable place to stay. Your country is one of the most expensive in the world.”
He could have just said, Thank you…
