Israel requested restrictions on entry of Uman pilgrims
Zelensky: A trade office in Jerusalem is a ‘ possibility’
Israel requested that Ukraine impose restrictions on Jewish pilgrims traveling to the grave of Rabbi Nahman of Breslov this Rosh Hashanah, because of the novel coronavirus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.
Asked for his opinion on the long- simmering dispute in Israel over the issue, Zelensky said that Ukraine is “very proud of this gathering” and does “everything to welcome our guests.”
Unfortunately, he added,
“this year, as a result of the COVID- 19 crisis, we had to implement very strict policies at the request of Israel to ensure the safety of both the citizens of Ukraine and our visitors coming from all around the world.”
Zelensky, who said he would like to see greater security cooperation between his country and the Jewish state, as Israel’s technology could “play an important role in protecting Ukrainian citizens,” told the Post that Ukraine was exploring the “possibility” of opening “a trade office in Jerusalem,” though moving the embassy to the capital is “currently not on our agenda.”
Zelensky’s comment about exploring the possibility of a trade office in Jerusalem differs with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement during a visit to the country in August 2019 that Ukraine had agreed to open a hi- tech and investment office in the city.