An agreement made between Moldova and Israel to bring about 50 charter flights to Chisinau ahead of religious trips to Uman, Ukraine, has collapsed just weeks before Rosh Hashanah.
Last week, Israel had decided to spend NIS 10 million on constructing a temporary hangar that would serve as a terminal in Chisinau for some 60,000 Breslov Hassidim to safely travel to the grave of Rabbi Nachman in Uman amid the ongoing war with Russia, Ynet reported. Chisinau is the closest destination to Uman.
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shas chairman Arye Deri were involved in the discussions as “budget pooling” was required from five government ministries to implement the plan, the report said.
The collapse came as a result of “excessive payment to Moldova, which is leading to extortion and crises with other countries,” a source involved in the negotiations between the two countries told Ynet. Moldova reportedly demanded full reimbursement of security and security expenses.
Rabbi Natan Ben-Nun, chairman of the Breslov Union in Uman, said Moldova’s requests were legitimate, but the sums were excessive.
“Moldova saw the arrival of the hassidim to Uman through their territory as a business opportunity,” he said. “There are logistics needed on their part, and they also require a workforce. Their payment requests are legitimate, but the amounts are definitely high.”
Israel is now said to be working overtime to transfer the charter flights to other countries in the region.
According to a person familiar with the matter, some 10,000 Israelis are expected to travel to Moldova on regular, non-charter flights, and another 10,000 will pass through Moldova on an overland route from Romania to Ukraine.
Other charter flights will be divided among neighboring countries: 25 to Iasi, Romania; 24 to Tulcea, Romania; 18 to Bucharest, Romania; 17 to Rzeszow, Poland; three to Baku, Azerbaijan; and six to Constanta, Romania.
Romanian Transportation Ministry State Secretary Ionut-Cristian Savoiu said pilgrims would be able to pass through airports in eastern Romania, but the number of travelers depends on the airports concerned. This would not be up to the ministry, he added.
Radio Kol Chai corroborated reports of the collapse of the Israel-Moldova discussions. Only 100 charter flights would fly to Uman this year, compared with 140 or more in previous years, it reported.
The matter of Uman has received significant public attention in Israel in recent weeks after Deputy Attorney-General Gil Limon said young haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men of enlistment age must not be allowed to go to Uman or other pilgrimage sites outside the country for Rosh Hashanah.
There have been concerns within the Breslov community that young hassidim will be jailed and subsequently conscripted should they travel to Uman.
“We regret that the attorney-general found the time to prevent Breslov hassidim from fulfilling their religious obligation to come to Uman for Rosh Hashanah,” haredi news site JDN quoted Ben-Nun as saying.
“I don’t think anyone wants this kind of confrontation,” he said. “And of course, no one wants to see young men spending the holidays in jail. By the power of our holy rebbe, in the end, there will be a good solution for all of us.”
Memorandum of understanding
There has been a significant and historical development in Israeli-Moldovan bilateral relations. On September 3, Israel signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Moldova that establishes joint wheat cultivation to safeguard Israel’s food security.
As part of the MoU, Israel will contribute advanced seeds and agricultural expertise, while Moldova will provide land, water, and labor.
“The diversification of Israel’s wheat sources is welcome in normal times and essential in emergencies,” Agriculture and Raw Food Security Minister Avi Dichter (Likud) said. “This preparation ensures the functional continuity of our economy. The ‘full shelves’ principle guides all our planning – stockpiles that are ready in both ordinary and extreme situations.”