Ukrainian embassy appeals to High Court against Shaked's refugee policies — report

Ukraine’s embassy in Israel has appealed to the High Court of Justice against Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s policies on Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion, Channel 12 news reports.

Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk hired Israeli law firm Tomer Warsha to file the suit, which charges that appeals by Ukrainians denied entry to the country went “ignored.”

“As arrival in Israel and boarding a flight will be conditional on obtaining prior approval and as the quota of the non-Jewish Ukrainians allowed to enter Israel will most likely be filled up by the time the new policy goes into effect the embassy sees that this new policy violates the Commission Relating to the Status of Refugees,” a letter from the law firm is quoted as saying.

Shaked announced Tuesday that 20,000 Ukrainians who had been in Israel before the outbreak of hostilities, and an additional 5,000 who fled the fighting, will be allowed to remain in the country.

The letter says the policy violates bilateral visa agreements between Jerusalem and Kyiv and that the embassy was turning to the courts “due to the exhausted diplomatic possibilities.”

Warsha himself also tells Channel 12 that Shaked is not authorized to impose the limit without the issue being discussed by the government and/or the Knesset, and that he’s confident the court will “restore good order.”