The authorities of the Republic of Moldova will not ensure the transit of Hasidic Jews who go on the annual pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman to mark Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), as it happened last year. The Government’s spokesman Daniel Vodă has told IPN that the authorities of Israel informed the Moldovan authorities that the pilgrimage to Uman is a private initiative.

“There are no financial commitments to cover the additional costs related to the organization of the pilgrimage, such as separate corridors or dedicated spaces at the airport or the pilgrims’ travel route. Although the organizers in Israel publicly informed that they will pay the outstanding debts for the additional services offered to pilgrims in 2023, so far the Republic of Moldova has not received more than 2.5 million lei in the accounts of the State Treasury,” said Daniel Vodă.

He also referred to the airport’s capacity. “The Chisinau International Airport has witnessed a significant increase in the number of flights and passengers during this period, compared to last year. Given the limited hourly passenger processing capacity, the Civil Aviation Authority transparently informed the Israeli authorities that it cannot approve additional flight requests at short notice. This request was received last week. Before that, there was no notification regarding the requested routes. So, the sale of tickets was circulated in the Israeli press without obtaining approvals according to international civil aviation standards,” explained the spokesman for the Government.

At the same time, based on the risk assessment and analysis of the technical organization parameters that are late in being finalized, the Moldovan authorities informed about the impossibility of responding to organizers’ requests.

“In conclusion, the considerations of the Moldovan authorities are based on objective reasons related to the airport’s capacity, security and unfulfilled commitments on the part of the organizers. The proper functioning of the infrastructure are our constant priorities,” said Daniel Vodă.

Every Jewish New Year, Jews make a pilgrimage to the city of Uman in central Ukraine, where the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, the founder of Breslov – a branch of Hasidic Judaism - is located.