Following reports that NIS 10 million would be provided in government funding for flights to Uman, Breslov activists told Arutz Sheva - Israel National News of an ongoing saga with Moldova that eventually required State intervention.
"We started working with Moldova when everyone was still recovering from their flights home after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) last year," one activist said. "We knew Ukraine was no longer an option, so we decided not to wait until the last minute as we usually do."
"At first, things looked promising: Israel opened an embassy in Moldova for the first time in history, and the Foreign Ministry signaled that all diplomatic issues were resolved. We thought it would be simple. They asked us to begin negotiations on our own, without government involvement which only complicates things and makes them more expensive."
But when the activists sat down for their first meeting in Chișinău, Moldovan officials surprised them, insisting they would deal only with the Israeli government.
"We sat down opposite them at the first meeting in Chișinău, and they told us clearly: 'We will not agree on anything directly with you - only with the Israeli government.' Suddenly, what should have been a private matter became a State matter."
Rabbi Pinchas Zaltzman, Chief Rabbi of Moldova, worked to persuade local officials to cooperate. Though preliminary agreements were reached, Moldova later demanded full reimbursement for security expenses due to upcoming parliamentary elections, as well as Israeli funding for a temporary airport terminal in Chișinău.
"Rabbi Zaltzman worked hard for us," one of the activists said. "Two months ago, he reached clear agreements with the Moldovans - exact numbers, but still without the final terms."
"And then the terms arrived. The Moldovans demanded a full refund for the expenses of security and guards, especially because of their upcoming parliamentary elections. They wanted that Israel also pay for a temporary terminal at the crowded Chișinău airport."
"We said the demands were excessive," the activist recounted. "But the Foreign Ministry told us: 'The State of Israel needs a favor from the Moldovan authorities, and it knows how to pay for it.'"
Deputy Foreign Ministry Director-General Tzachi Dikshtein took the lead, but once coordination with multiple ministries was needed, the matter was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Government backing soon followed: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich promised "not to withhold funds from Breslov hasidim"; Jerusalem Affairs Minister Meir Porush approved NIS 2 million for the Foreign Ministry; Transportation Minister Miri Regev "offered support for the initiative"; and MK Tzvi Succot, who will join the trip himself, also took part in meetings.
Meanwhile, activists are spreading out the flights across various airports, explaining, "The strategy is to spread the flights over as many airports as possible." In Romania: 20-22 flights to Bacău; 5-7 to Suceava, which is currently under renovation; and additional flights to Tulcea. "In the coming days, we expect to receive approval for , and soon, they expect approval for Iași as well," they added.
As for Moldova, "the inter-ministerial team continues to work — but at least now everyone knows what’s really happening behind the scenes here," the activists concluded.