The Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, has appealed on behalf of the Ukrainian Embassy to the Israeli Supreme Court against the policies of the Israeli government and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked (Yamina).
The person representing the Ukrainian embassy during the trial is lawyer Tomer Warsaw, who claims that with the word "quotas," the Interior Minister creates a smokescreen that actually hides behind a violation of international conventions and law.
The Ambassador wrote in a statement: "The Ministry of the Interior's new policy violates agreements between Ukraine and Israel regarding exemption from visas for Ukrainian citizens. In light of exhaustion of all the diplomatic possibilities, the Embassy had no choice but to request that the Warsaw Law Office petition the Supreme Court against the new plan in order to protect the rights of Ukrainian citizens."
The petition reads: "The honorable Court is requested to preserve the existing situation and freeze the implementation of the proposed plan, which prevents the entry of Ukrainian citizens into Israel, into force, until this petition is decided so that the order granting Ukrainian citizens unhindered entry into Israel will remain in force."
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced earlier this week that Israel would accept 25,000 non-Jewish Ukrainian citizens "temporarily until the fighting ends." 20,000 of them, according to Shaked, were already in Israel illegally before the war. In addition, the requirement of a deposit for refugees will be abolished, and instead, Israeli sponsors will be required to fill out a form in which they undertake that the guest will leave as soon as the state of emergency ends.
"The State of Israel will temporarily host about 20,000 Ukrainian citizens who were in Israel before the outbreak of hostilities, usually in violation of the law. In addition, if God forbid the violence does not stop within a reasonable time, we will allow them to work in Israel," Shaked explained. "Beyond that, it was agreed to set an additional quota of 5,000 Ukrainian citizens who arrived or will arrive after the outbreak of hostilities."
The Ukrainian Ambassador on Friday night attacked Shaked's plan in an interview with Ulpan Shishi: "This is not acceptable to us at all. Of course. Again, according to the existing conventions, of which Israel is a party, and according to the laws in Israel, she is not allowed to enforce any restrictions. I very much hope that we will reach a positive solution that will be acceptable to both parties."
Regarding the allegations that many of the refugees who came to Israel do so for economic reasons, he replied: "Don't pat yourself on the back! It is not easy to get to Israel, and it is not the most comfortable place to stay. Your country is one of the most expensive in the world. Assuming that most European countries provide shelter, food, temporary work permits, and educational frameworks for children, refugees will move there after the war."