Israel calls on its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, prepares for emergency evacuations
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has elevated its travel warning to Ukraine and has called on Israeli citizens to leave the country immediately, following a situational assessment that took place Saturday and as the US warned Russia will invade the country in the coming days.
Ukrainian flags together with Israeli flags wave in the wind in the Ukraine’s President, Petro Poroshenko, visit the the Knesset. Jerusalem, Dec 2015. Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS
In the latest development, President Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday evening for an hour and that “there was no fundamental change in the dynamic that has been unfolding now for several weeks,” the White House said.
“We are intensifying our efforts to deter Russia and to impose costs should it decide to go ahead with military action anyway,” the White House warned.
The Foreign Ministry is “calling on Israeli citizens currently in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible, and those planning on traveling to Ukraine in the near future to cancel their travel plans.”
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid ordered a transition to work on an emergency footing, and the Foreign Ministry has established a dedicated management team for this crisis headed by Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz, who reports to the Foreign Minister.
The Israeli Embassy in Kyiv, led by Ambassador Michael Brodsky, continues to operate with its full team of diplomatic staff remaining in the country. However, non-essential personnel and emissaries from other Israeli organizations have begun to leave the country.
The Consular Division at the Foreign Ministry will reinforce the Embassy with additional staff in order to manage emergency consular matters.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held several consultations on tensions between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend.
The conversations were attended by the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, the head of the National Security Council and the National Security Adviser, the director-general of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, and other professionals.
Israel is preparing to airlift tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews who wish to come to Israel.
Following the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israeli El Al and Yisrair carriers announced it was is increasing its flight schedule from Kyiv and will operate additional flights to and from Kyiv for those who wish to flee the country ahead of the pending war.
No wonder so many Europeans immigrate to place like Australia. The Europeans have fought wars every few decades for hundreds of years. Europeans are lead by moronic war mongering politicians in many instances.