Cherkasy mayor urges Zelensky to prevent Hasidim’s arrival in Uman

Hasidic pilgrims in Ukraine. Photo: tsn.ua

Cherkasy mayor Anatoly Bondarenko called on President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky to intervene in the situation with the possible arrival of tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims to Uman, Cherkasy region, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

“We are outraged at the decision on the Hasidim,” Bondarenko wrote on his Facebook page. “It turns out that Ukrainians now do not have the right to freely visit Israel and the United States, where the level of the epidemic threat is much higher than the Ukrainian one. But local citizens have the right to come to a Ukrainian city and freely celebrate a religious holiday here."

He stressed that tens of thousands of pilgrims can be carriers of the coronavirus, therefore, they pose a threat to the population of all of Ukraine.

“This violates the rights of Ukrainian citizens, puts us in an unfair position in front of foreigners. Ukrainians were banned holidays, deprived of the right to work, a decent life, and the work of cultural and leisure institutions was prohibited. But for some reason all this is allowed to foreign citizens on the territory of Ukraine,” the Cherkasy mayor stressed, urging Zelensky to intervene in the situation.

As reported, the Hasidim have figured out how to bypass the coronavirus ban on travel to Uman: for $ 300-500, they apply for a temporary residence permit in Ukraine, which gives them the legal right to enter the country, regardless of the epidemiological situation.

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