Zelensky
Zelenskyצילום: המרכז לאימפקט יהודי

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought to address Israel’s national Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem via satellite, but was rebuffed, according to a report by Walla Sunday afternoon.

The report claimed that Yevhen Korniichuk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, met with Dani Dayan, the director of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, on Sunday, and forwarded a request from Zelensky, asking that the Ukrainian president be allowed to address the museum by video.

The address would feature Knesset Members, mayors from across Israel, and prominent Israeli public figures.

Dayan reportedly turned down the request, saying that while he identified with the plight of Ukrainians during the Russian invasion, the museum would be unable to host an event which would effectively be political in nature.

A senior Ukrainian official was cited as saying that President Zelensky hoped to use the address as a means of addressing Israelis and Jews worldwide.

Ambassador Korniichuk has also reportedly broached the possibility of Zelensky addressing the Knesset plenum via satellite, and is slated to discuss the issue with Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy on Tuesday.

The Knesset plenum, which will be in recess at the time, would have to be convened for a special session to host the address, leading Levy to suggest that Zelensky instead hold a smaller, Zoom-based event with MKs – an offer Ukraine reportedly rejected.