Amid tensions at home, 75 Ukrainian immigrants arrive in Israel

Approximately 75 new immigrants from Ukraine land in Israel, with an additional 22 slated to arrive this evening, as tensions between Ukraine and Russia reach new highs.

“Our message to the Jews of Ukraine is very clear — Israel will always be their home; our gates are open to them during normal times as well as in emergencies,” says Immigrant Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata. “Today we are happy to greet dozens of immigrants from Ukraine, and we are prepared to absorb thousands who want to move to Israel… we are waiting with open arms.”

Jana Kovlenko, who arrives from Kyiv with her husband, Evgeni, and their daughter, says that “right now it’s scary in Ukraine. Everyone is only talking about war. Until the last moment we were worried that the flight would be canceled due to the situation.”

Gidi Schmerling, of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which helped organize the arrivals, said the immigrants had been tense in the hours before the flight. “When the plane took off,” Schmerling, who was on board, told Army Radio, “there was applause.”

He said the new arrivals had been scheduled to immigrate, rather than rushing to do because of the current crisis.