On Friday, the UN Special Committee on Decolonization approved the draft resolution titled “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” and decided to request the International Court of Justice in the Hague to “render urgently an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement, and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.”
It’s par for the course, naturally, it’s what the UN does. But one country that voted with the majority against Israel stood out: Ukraine. After close to a year of receiving lavish aid from the Jewish State, including a full field hospital and medical and defensive supplies, and months of harassing Israel with demands for the Iron Dome defense system and whatnot. Perhaps we should keep their treasonous behavior next time we are asked to feel sorry for the grandchildren of the murderers of our grandparents.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk complained to Haaretz that the number of Ukrainians who were refused entry to Israel has increased since the High Court of Justice’s ruling that canceled Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s entry quotas. The court ruled that the exemption authorizing entry for citizens of Ukraine, which allows them to stay in the country for three months without obtaining a permit in advance, also applies to those who fled their country due to the fighting.
Korniychuk told Haaretz that “if in the past, only citizens who were perceived as ‘suspicious’ were questioned at the airport, now every Ukrainian citizen, without exception, is questioned.”
He added that a few weeks ago, Ukraine sent a letter of protest on the subject to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying it sees this “as an unfriendly move on Israel’s part.”
During the first five months of the war, 26,747 Ukrainians entered Israel, and 350 were refused, compared with 32,453 Ukrainians who entered Israel in the four months since the court’s verdict, and 900 who were refused.
Since the beginning of the war, 13,784 olim came to Israel from Ukraine under the Law of Return. In addition, 14,609 Ukrainians are living in Israel who are not entitled to citizenship under the Law of Return. According to the Ministry of Social Welfare, this month there has been an increase in the daily entry of Ukrainians to Israel, which today stands at 217.
That’s 1,519 Ukrainians a week, 6,510 Ukrainians a month, and 79,205 Ukrainians a year. Assuming fewer of these Ukrainians will qualify under the Law of Return as time goes by, Israel may be looking at a new, gentile community of more than 50,000 illegals, each one of whom would be difficult to send home, especially since they are sure to name their children Yossi and Inbal and send them to Israeli public schools.
According to the Haaretz report, most of the non-Jewish Ukrainians live in Bat Yam (654), Haifa (539), Ashkelon (526), Petah Tikvah (507), and Netanya (491). 3,812 receive full health benefits, and 10,024 receive food assistance.
They should all consider that when they vote next time to send Israel to criminal court.
