Moldova bans transit of Israeli pilgrims to Uman
9 September 2024 23:38
Moldova has banned the transit of Israeli pilgrims through its territory on their way to Uman, where they celebrate Rosh Hashanah every year. This was reported by Levi Yitzhak Gvirtz of the Ichud Breslev organisation in Uman (Cherkasy region), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Interfax-Ukraine.
Because of Moldova’s refusal, about 15,000 pilgrims who planned to travel to Uman this year will not be able to use the route through Chisinau.
Israeli travel companies have already started refunding tickets to those who planned to fly to Moldova. They are now considering alternative routes through Romania and Poland.
At the end of August, Israeli media reported that Israel was ready to pay Moldova 700,000 shekels ($191,300) to compensate for the costs of additional security measures and increased security at the Chisinau airport in connection with the arrival of pilgrims in 2023 and to obtain Chisinau’s consent to allow pilgrims to pass through its territory this year. Israel did not repay these costs to Moldova in a timely manner.
In August 2023, the Israeli Foreign Minister paid an official visit to Chisinau, one of the stated goals of which was to prepare a pilgrimage from Israel to Ukraine in transit through Moldova. The parties agreed, among other things, to resume direct flights. At the same time, Chisinau sought the extradition of fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, who was sentenced to 15 years in a case of stealing money from Moldovan banks. However, Israel never extradited Shor, and in February 2024 allowed him to leave the country and settle in Moscow.
It should be noted that in September 2023, more than 35 thousand pilgrims visited Uman. Of these, about 30,000 arrived in Ukraine via Moldova.
Every year, tens of thousands of Jews who profess one of the streams of Judaism, Hasidism, make a pilgrimage to Uman, where the grave of the founder of Bratslav Hasidism, Tzadik Nachman, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, is located. The pilgrimage is timed to coincide with the celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which this year is celebrated from 2 to 4 October. The Hasidim believe that if they celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the grave of Tzadik Nachman, the next year will be very happy for them.
