Ukrainians will not need to ask for permission to visit the Holy Land.
“Paper borders have finally been destroyed,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry declares. And although the end of the bureaucratic red tape associated with paperwork and ratification of the agreement is not yet in sight, the process has, so to speak, begun. How long this procedure will take is no longer important; the main thing is that they finally pressured the Jewish religious sector, which opposed the flooding of the Holy Land with “criminal elements.”
“Russian” deputies in the Israeli Knesset fought for a long time, argued, and persuaded. “Why must every pretty Ukrainian girl be seen as a prostitute?” exclaimed Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov. “And all men be considered criminals? From a political point of view, Ukraine always supports Israel on the international stage; moreover, with the arrival of the new government, prospects for mutually beneficial economic ties are opening up.”
There turned out to be more arguments in favor of developing the tourism industry, increasing jobs, and strengthening cooperation. In short, they were persuaded.
For his part, commenting on the situation surrounding the visa abolition, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych proudly stated that “Israel is one of the first European states with which Ukraine will soon establish a visa-free regime.”
And no one, except perhaps journalists, noticed another geographical blunder: if Yanukovych believes that the Jewish state is in Europe, so be it. For tourist brochures, this is not a bad advertising trick. Be that as it may, Israel became the sixth country in the world to abolish visas for Ukrainians, after Thailand, Morocco, Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro.
The visa-free regime will enter into force no earlier than five months from now, since both parliaments – the Rada and the Knesset – must ratify the agreement, and deputies in both Israel and Ukraine have gone on vacation and will return to work only in September (after which, by law, another 90 days must pass). Judging by the precedent of visa abolition with Russia, the entire process may take almost six months.
According to experts, tour packages to Israel, as well as air tickets, should become cheaper by $100–150. In any case, the current holiday season for Ukrainians who dreamed of visiting the Holy Land without formalities is already lost. Incidentally, the moderate heat in Israel this summer would seem like paradise to Europeans exhausted by the heat.
Sveta BLAUS.
Russkaya Germaniya