Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who is currently outside Israel, spoke Wednesday evening with Romanian Transport Minister Ionuț-Cristian Săvoiu and Israel’s ambassador to Romania, Dr. Lior Ben-Dor, in an effort to add dozens of flights for Israelis traveling to Uman. The Romanian minister asked that Israelis arrive with proper transit permits and promised to work on increasing flight capacity.
Around 60,000 Israelis are expected to flock to the Ukrainian town of Uman for Rosh Hashanah, where Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is buried. In recent days, reports said Regev approved an unusual step: opening Ben Gurion Airport for departures during the regular overnight curfew, in order to allow flights carrying worshippers to Uman ahead of the holiday. She said the decision was made due to exceptional congestion at the airport and logistical difficulties stemming from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In recent weeks, reservists’ organizations have sharply criticized the government’s efforts to help facilitate travel to Uman. They pointed out that many of the ultra-Orthodox making the trip evade army service, even as Israel has been conducting a mass call-up of reservists for the Gaza City offensive. Over the weekend, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara clarified that the state must allow enforcement measures against draft evaders seeking to leave for Uman.
Regev, who held her conversation with the Romanian minister from abroad, flew to the United States on August 24, during major disruptions to Israel Railways and widespread transportation chaos. At least according to her original schedule, she is expected to return Thursday.
Earlier Wednesday, Uman’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Jan, issued a letter urging visitors not to bring drugs into Ukraine: “Do not bring with you cigarettes with medical substances,” he wrote. The warning follows drug smuggling attempts and arrests of worshippers last year, as Ukrainian police prepare to enforce bans ahead of the mass arrival.