Israeli ministries meet to plan possible airlift of Ukrainian Jews if Russia attacks
Top Israeli government officials and leaders of Jewish organisations held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the possibility of evacuating Jews from Ukraine if Russia invades.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is greeted by an honour guard upon his arrival in Ukraine, Oct. 5, 2021. Photo by Haim Zach/GPO
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been amassing troops at the two countries’ borders since the fall, reportedly including the placement of weapons such as ballistic missiles, with some estimates of an impending crossing or invasion early this year.
According to a report in Haaretz, the meeting was held with members of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, and the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety.
It also included representatives from the Jewish Agency for Israel and Nativ, which maintains connections with Jews in former Soviet countries.
Jewish organisations estimate that some 75,000 Ukrainians living in the eastern part of the country, many elderly, are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, which allows immigration to those who have one Jewish grandparent.
JNS
