‘Israel plans for Ukraine exodus’
THE Israeli government is preparing for the possibility that thousands of Ukrainian Jews will want to immigrate to Israel in the event of a Russian invasion of the country, it was reported this week.
According to Haaretz, representatives of various government offices and groups met on Sunday to discuss such an eventuality, among them the Prime Minister’s Office, Foreign Minister, Defence Ministry, Diaspora Affairs Ministry and the Jewish Agency.
The report said some 75,000 people living in eastern Ukraine are believed eligible for Israeli citizenship.
It noted that Israel has long had plans for the mass evacuation of Jews from various countries should the need arise, and has updated those plans for Ukraine due to the rising tensions.
A Foreign Ministry official on Monday said Israel is not currently expecting a surge in immigration from Ukraine and noted that the Jewish Agency handles such immigration issues. However, the official said the ministry was looking into issues relating to the estimated 10,000 Israeli nationals in Ukraine.
On Sunday, the US State Department said Washington had ordered the families of its diplomats in Kiev to leave the country “due to the continued threat of Russian military action”.
Washington has also urged US citizens to “consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options”.
The State Department announcement came amid tensions between Russia and the West over European security and concerns over a possible invasion by Moscow of Ukraine.
Russia has been massing tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine, along with an arsenal of tanks, fighting vehicles, artillery and missiles.
The movements have ignited stern warnings from Washington and Europe – but so far intense diplomacy has yielded little results.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed the idea of slapping punitive sanctions on Moscow before any potential invasion, saying they should be used as a means of “dissuading” an attack.
“Once sanctions are triggered, you lose the deterrent effect,” Blinken told CBS. “So what we’re doing is putting together a whole series of actions that would figure into President [Vladimir] Putin’s calculus.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has rejected a British claim that the Kremlin was seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration.
The UK government made the claim based on an intelligence assessment, although it did not provide evidence to back it up.
The White House called the UK government assessment “deeply concerning” and said it stands with the duly elected Ukrainian government.
TIMES OF ISRAEL
comments