To President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavel Klimkin

The Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities (Vaad) of Ukraine is deeply disappointed and outraged by the vote of the Ukrainian delegation to the UN Security Council in support of anti-Israel resolutions. The state bilateral relations are far back discarded, which thousands of people in our countries build for the past 25 years. All of us have become hostages of short-sighted, ill-considered actions of the group of officials.  

Recently was held a large-scale conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Israel, where a high-level officials once again stated the words of the strategic partnership between our countries, and assurance of interest in further cooperation. Israel is actively participating in physical and psychological rehabilitation of Ukraine army fighters, Ukraine received the latest agricultural technology from Israel, an agreement to provide 20,000 work visas for Ukrainians employment in Israel has been signed recently. In addition, in the coming year,  the agreement on free trade zone between the two countries should start.  

The more strange and unfriendly seems the current step of the Ukrainian diplomacy in the light of the fact that just a week ago, Israel supported the UN General Assembly resolution on the "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)", where the Crimea recognized as a territory occupied by Russia, and the Russian Federation itself is named as the State occupier. A month earlier, Israel also supported a resolution at the UN Committee on human rights on the violations in the Crimea by the Russian occupation authorities.  

Unfortunately, it was not taken into account by the Ukrainian side, and they supported a sharp one-sided resolution that may cause sanctions and a boycott of the Jewish state and can start the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

As a result, planned for next week's visit by Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman to Israel – frustrated, Israel canceled the long-awaited and promising visit - an unprecedented event in the history of bilateral relations.  

It is unfortunate that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's position has significantly clouded the relations of our country with Israel, so important in this difficult time for Ukraine. Time will show if Israel is limited only with the cancellation of the visit of Prime Minister of Ukraine in response to such an unfriendly act diplomats of our country.  

Andrew Adamovsky  

Joseph Zissels  

Co-presidents of the Vaad of Ukraine

24.12.2016