Ukraine’s Zelensky hails Israeli court for striking down refugee quota

Ukraine president says High Court ruling upholds ‘rule of law and respect for human rights’; Israel’s diaspora affairs minister: ‘Ruling embodies our moral duty as a Jewish nation’

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Israel’s High Court Sunday after it rejected a government cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war who are allowed to enter the country.

The court on Sunday said Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked could not restrict the number of non-Jewish refugees fleeing the Russian war to just 5,000, rejecting the reasoning behind the policy.

“The rule of law and respect for human rights is exactly what distinguishes a true, developed democracy!” Zelensky said on Twitter shortly after the ruling.

“I commend the decision of the Supreme Court of the State of Israel, which obliges the government of [Israel] to abolish any additional restrictions on the entry of citizens of [Ukraine],” he added.

Thousands of Ukrainians have come to Israel in the wake of Russia’s February invasion of their country.

Under existing regulations, Ukrainians do not need a visa for a visit of up to three months in Israel. In March, Shaked said Israel would allow some 20,000 Ukrainians who were on tourist visas or in the country illegally before the Russian invasion to remain.

She also said Israel grant would visas to a further 5,000 refugees who do not automatically qualify for immigration to Israel under the Law of Return, which allows anyone who has a Jewish parent or grandparent to receive Israeli citizenship.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraines-zelensky-hails-israeli-court-for-striking-down-refugee-quota/