RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Hasidim problem causes conflict between Ukraine and Belarus

UKRAINE AND BELARUS ARE DECIDING WHAT TO DO WITH HASIDIM WHO WERE STOPPED AT BORDER ON WAY TO UMAN

Religiia v Ukraine, 16 September 2020

 

A detachment of the State Service for States of Emergency has settled near the memorial complex of Tzadik Nachman in Uman of Cherkassy oblast on the eve of the start of celebration of the Jewish New Year. At the same time, on the Ukrainian-Belorussia sector of the state boundary, the arrival of groups of foreign citizens has been recorded, who, despite the restriction on entry, are trying to get into Ukraine for celebration of Rosh Hashanah, Religiia v Ukraine reports, with reference to Pravda.com.ua.

 

"The detachment includes forces of the fire and rescue subdivisions of various regions of Cherkassy oblast, specialists of the division of water rescue tasks, groups of pyrotechnics and underwater mine-sweeping, a division of radiation, chemical, and biological protection, pilot-less flying devices, and medical service," the press service of the State Service for States of Emergency reports.

 

The total number of people in the detachment is 96. The group also is reinforced by 30 units of special fire and rescue technology. At places where holiday events are conducted and places of compact housing of pilgrims, four stationary posts have been set up.

 

Also rescue personnel report five checkpoints for disinfection. Yesterday, divers of the State Service for States of Emergency surveyed and removed dangerous objects in about 250 square meters of the bottom of the reservoir, which pilgrims will use during religious rituals.

 

In the past few days, the arrivals of groups of foreign citizens have been registered in the Ukrainian-Belorussian sector of the state boundary, who, despite restriction on entry, are trying to get into Ukraine for celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

 

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MZS) has called the attention of foreigners and persons without citizenship to the necessity of strict compliance with the legislation of Ukraine regarding matters of entry and stay on its territory.

 

The Ukrainian MZS notes that persons who do not fall into the category of exceptions from the aforementioned prohibition cannot be granted entry onto the territory of Ukraine. To quote: "In order to prevent illegal entry into Ukraine of groups of foreigners, the Ukrainian MZS asks the Belorussian side not to process for exit into Ukraine persons who do not fall into the category of exceptions. The Ukrainian MZS insistently calls all travelers to respect existing regulations in the sphere of border control and to prevent the creation of difficult situations at checkpoints for crossing the state boundary."

 

Yesterday President Vladimir Zelensky discussed the situation at the border with the chairman of the State Border Service. Sergei Deineko reported that border troops expect more than 3,000 more pilgrims to arrive at the sector of the Ukrainian border with Belarus.

 

Acting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko instructed his government to communicate with Ukraine and to come to agreement about providing a green corridor for Hasidim.

 

Lukashenko's press secretary, Natalia Eismont, commented: "At the same time Belarus is prepared to provide transportation. For example, buses in which pilgrims will reach their destination (Ukrainian shrines) and return, and then to the airport for departure for their homeland. Our country is prepared to take all these functions on itself and, of course, to arrange a process of maximum safety, including that the incidence of COVID infection will not affect the situation in any way." (tr. by PDS, posted 16 September 2020)

 

 

UKRAINE URGES BELORUSSIA NOT TO ESCALATE TENSIONS AT THE BORDER AND NOT TO MAKE FALSE STATEMENTS FOR HASIDIC PILGRIMS

Interfax-Religiia, 16 September 2020

 

The office of the president of Ukraine is calling the leadership of Belorussia to stop creating additional tensions on their shared state boundary and not to spread false encouraging statements for Hasidic pilgrims.

 

"We urge the Belorussian authorities to stop creating additional tension on the border of our state and not to spread false encouraging statements for pilgrims, which may create in them the feeling that the border of Ukraine may still be open for foreigners," a statement of the office of the president regarding the situation for Hasidim on the Belorussian-Ukrainian border, which was released Wednesday afternoon, says.

 

The office of the president notes that as of today up to 2,000 Hasidic pilgrims are on the border between Belorussia and Ukraine. Most of them have come from Israel, having believed rumors that the Ukrainian border with Belorussia is supposedly open. "The government of Belarus, by some of its ill-considered statements has, intentionally or unintentionally, fueled these rumors," the office of the president declared.

 

The office of the president has reminded the Belorussian side that Ukraine was forced to make the decision to close the state boundary for foreigners because of a substantial deterioration of the situation regarding the spread of COVID-19.

 

The office of the Ukrainian president thinks that personal resentment of certain persons in the de facto existing Belorussian government extends today to the level of inter-state relations.

 

"We recall that Ukraine occupied a neutral position regarding the political crisis that accompanied the badly organized voting in the election of the president of the republic of Belarus on 9 August of this year. We support the democratic values that are generally recognized on the European continued, and we consider that every state must observe its obligation to fully guarantee human rights and freedoms, which are guaranteed by international conventions and pertinent national legislation, which at least formally exist also in Belarus," the office of the president of Ukraine added.

 

The office also believes that every state, during the pandemic, must conduct a transparent and responsible policy directed at the halting of the spread of COVID-19, and refrain from provoking negative variations of the development of the epidemic situation in neighboring countries. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 September 2020)

 


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