“Everyone is just talking about the war,” said Yana Koblenko from Ukraine, who arrived in Israel this week with a plane of 74 other new immigrants. “Until the last minute, I was worried the flight would be canceled.”
The Koblenko family—Yana, her husband Yevgeny and their young daughter—had been longing to come to Israel for some time. The rest of Yana’s family, including her parents, had made aliyah just before the pandemic.
“It’s scary in Ukraine right now,” Yana said as she arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport. “We are very happy to have the opportunity to live in Israel.”
Around 75 immigrants from #Ukraine landed in Israel this past Sunday afternoon on the verge of a looming war as tensions rise with #Russia.
The flight was arranged thanks to IFCJ, the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption.
Welcome home 💙🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/V7m3ZwlJqQ
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) February 21, 2022
“Our message to the Jews of Ukraine is very clear,” said Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, “Israel will always be your home. Our gates are open to you in normal times and in times of crisis.”
As @ZvikaKlein reported, the Immigrant Absorption Ministry has announced a tender for hotels to house refugees in case of a wave of incoming Ukrainians https://t.co/Qr60yGHmgt
— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) February 21, 2022
#BREAKING 110 new immigrants from Ukraine will arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in #Israel this Sunday morning (Feb. 20th).
The Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and @TheFellowship are taking care of the Aliyah process.#UkraineCrisis @Jerusalem_Post— Zvika Klein צביקה קליין (@ZvikaKlein) February 17, 2022
