Ukraine ready to welcome vaccinated Israelis for Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman

The Ukrainian government will allow vaccinated Israelis to make an annual Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslev in the city of Uman, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported on Friday.

The development reportedly comes amid talks of Israel sending surplus COVID-19 vaccinations to Kyiv.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov is said to have arrived at the bespoke agreement on Friday after a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Aryeh Deri.

Every year, tens of thousands of Israelis travel to this central Ukrainian city to worship at the tomb of the 19th-century Hasidic rabbi, founder of the Breslov movement. 

Last year, however, Ukrainian authorities blocked entry into the country and refused to organize the pilgrimage due to coronavirus pandemic, leading to thousands being stranded at the Ukraine-Belarus border.  

Many of these Israeli pilgrims support the Orthodox Shas party, led by Deri, a key partner of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. 

Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky, who won a landslide victory in 2019, has recently seen his poll numbers lag as the pandemic has further damaged the country's struggling economy. 

"The key condition for the implementation of this large-scale measure (the organization of the pilgrimage) will be the improvement of the epidemiological situation in Ukraine and the preliminary vaccination of visitors," a statement released by Avakov's office reads. 

The two government officials discussed "assistance from Israel in providing vaccine packages," the statement added.