The Russian-Ukrainian war crisis, one of the worst in Europe's recent history, continues raging high. Now, it expands into a new domain – maritime navigation, and, therefore, Ukraine's economy.

As one of the most recent developments, Russia closed vast expanses of the Black and the Azov Sea for civilian maritime traffic, under the pretext of naval exercises, for the period between February 13 and 19.

The decision announced in the heat of Russia's large military maneuvers in Belarus effectively isolated most of the Ukrainian-controlled southern coastline, including key ports such as Odesa, Mykolaiv, Berdyansk, and Mariupol. According to Ukrainian estimates, this consistently entails trade losses worth millions of dollars, which triggers accusations of economic warfare waged by Russia and even a sea blockade that might be imposed amid the crisis.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Ukrainian media brought the order to the light on February 9, following announcements regarding Russian naval exercises that are expected to involve over 140 warships and 10,000 personnel. The short-term closure of certain aquatic areas, under international maritime law, due to military maneuvers is not a rare thing in the Black Sea region, particularly due to Russia's naval activities.

But this time around, according to Ukrainian experts, it is different now. "There are no passages available for commercial vessels," says Black Sea navigation expert Andriy Klymenko.

"This is something that has not happened over the last 8 years." The restricted region in the Black and the Azov seas expands up to the very border of Ukraine's 12-mile territorial waters zone, according to Russian coordinates. The initial announcement affected nearly 800 kilometers of Ukraine's southern coastline.

As a result, the entrance to the Sea of Azov via the Russian-controlled Kerch Strait was completely closed for the whole duration of drills. "As for the Black Sea basin, navigation is only possible if a vessel drifts off recommended seaways to bypass the gunnery zones," as the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority commented later.

"Therefore, this entails imitations in terms of the vessels' draft." Meanwhile, all 13 Ukrainian seaports located on the southern coastline, according to official figures, have processed a total of 153 million tons of cargo in 2021 alone. This corresponds to nearly 60% of Ukrainian exports and 50% of imports, according to the Kyiv School of Economy.

Upon that, the Ukrainian economy is still very dependent on international trade. According to estimates by Oleg Nivievskiy of the Kyiv School of Economy, if Russia blocks all Ukrainian ports for a month, Ukraine might be losing between $25 million and $170 million a day.

After a month of the blockade, Ukraine could end up losing up to $5.1 billion, or up to 3.3% of its 2020 GDP. After three months, losses might constitute up to 9.9% of its GDP, according to Nivievskiy. The forecasts, along with Russia's military activity near Ukraine's borders, raised fears of economic strangling as one of the Kremlin's most effective tools of rendering pressure upon Kyiv.

Oleg Solodukhov, the founder of The Charterers shipping audition company, gave an even more doom-laden forecast.

"Just the very existence of the geopolitical and military risks deteriorates the effectiveness of maritime transportation of Ukrainian exporters and importers by between $2 and $3 per ton," Solodukhov says."With the blockade being possible, the raise will get increased by at least between $5 and $7 per ton. At very rough estimates, it is reasonable to believe, judging from the Ukrainian ports' cargo load, that even now Ukraine is paying $3 million a day."

In other words, as the expert said, even the media clamor against the backdrop of Russia's naval activities in the seas costs Ukraine's maritime logistics nearly $100 million a month.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian navy on February 10 confirmed the potential impediment of international navigation and accused Moscow of the "excessive use of international law" for the sake of its political interests. The US Embassy in Kyiv later in the day also decried the Russian action:

"Russia's economic warfare against Ukraine continues," the US mission said. "Under the pretext of military exercises, Russia restricts Ukraine's maritime sovereignty, limits freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and impedes maritime traffic essential to Ukraine's economy."

But on Feb. 11, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service confirmed the fact that Russia had suddenly revoked the no-go zone in the Azov Sea watering east Ukraine, particularly Donbas, offering no official explanations. Two ports in the region, Mariupol and Berdyansk, in 2021 transferred a total of 8.6 million tons of cargo, including items vital for the region's steelworks industry.

Upon that, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, the Azov navigation ended up being fully open. But there have been no changes voiced regarding the Black Sea zone.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Russia's economic war on Kiev already underway in Black Sea ports appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Ukraine recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's "one and only capital" and will open a branch of its embassy in the capital in the upcoming year, Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said on Thursday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Korniychuk's announcement came at the Kyiv Jewish Forum, an event marking 30 years of Israel-Ukraine ties, which was attended by Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze'ev Elkin, who grew up in Ukraine. Elkin is also the housing and construction minister.

The embassy branch in Jerusalem would be responsible for promoting bilateral trade and technological ties and will be inaugurated during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Israel next year.

The aim of the annual Kyiv Jewish Forum – which was held online this year due to coronavirus restrictions – is to foster dialogue among leaders from around the globe that will help bring about solutions to such challenges as antisemitism, the rise of the anti-Israel boycott movement, and the effects of the ongoing pandemic. Discussions also centered on pressing issues facing Jewish communities worldwide, and relations between Ukraine, Israel, and the global Jewish community.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the online event, as well as Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Health Minister Viktor Liashko, in addition to Elkin, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai and Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov, among other senior leaders and officials from Europe, Israel and the US.

Guests and speakers of the forum also included President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald S. Lauder; the ambassadors of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky; the heads of the health authorities of both countries; the UN and European Commission antisemitism commissioners; CEO of the American Jewish Committee David Harris; Euro-Asian Jewish Congress president Mikhail Mirilashvili, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff; national president and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt; and many others.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Ukraine recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Celebrating 30 years of official diplomatic relations between Israel and Ukraine, the third annual Kyiv Jewish Forum will be held online due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions. Set to take place over two days starting this Wednesday, the purpose of the event is to foster dialogue among leaders from around the globe that will help bring about solutions to such challenges as antisemitism, the rise of the anti-Israel boycott movement, and the effects of the ongoing pandemic. Discussions will also center on pressing issues facing Jewish communities worldwide, and relations between Ukraine, Israel, and the global Jewish community.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The two-day virtual forum will be co-hosted by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement, the Center for Jewish Impact, and Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. Last year, 83,000 people participated in the forum online, including 500 leaders from Ukraine, Israel, the United States, and Europe.

"Jews and Ukrainians are united by more than a thousand-year history, and this history has a lot to teach us about the challenges we face today," Boris Lozhkin, president of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, said. "The increasing cooperation and ties between the Ukraine and Israel are to be celebrated, and together with our partners from around the world, we will discuss how to further increase collaboration and discuss solutions to antisemitism and the Jewish community living under COVID-19."

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the online event, as well as Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Health Minister Viktor Liashko, in addition to Israel's Housing and ConstructionMinister Ze'ev Elkin, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai and Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov, among other senior leaders and officials from Europe, Israel and the US.

Other speakers at this year's event include US Senator Ben Cardin and Representative Doug Lamborn; European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life Katharina von Schnurbein; Canada's Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism Irwin Cotler; chairman of the Directorate of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem Dani Dayan; and Natan Sharansky, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Babyn Yar Foundation and Holocaust Memorial Center.

Sonia Gomes de Mesquita, executive director of the Center for Jewish Impact, told JNS, "After three decades, our countries continue to collaborate in fields of national security, tourism, economics, public health and more. Throughout the Jewish state, Ukrainian Jews have made crucial contributions in technology, medicine, and culture. This forum provides a platform to memorialize the intricate role Jews played throughout Ukrainian history and the great conciliatory lengths that Ukraine has undergone since 1991."

The first day of the event will explore how Ukraine's storied Jewish history has shaped its contemporary relations with Israel and celebrate the pivotal ties connecting Ukraine, Israel, Europe, and the US.

The second day will focus on the most pressing issues facing the Jewish people and Israel, including challenges arising from the ongoing pandemic, the growth of antisemitism worldwide, and the need for expanded Jewish education, among other issues. It will also look to the future of Israel's global role as a "startup nation" and highlight the lessons that Jewish communities worldwide can learn from Israeli expertise.

Sima Vaknin, founder of Strategic Impact and senior advisor to CAM, told JNS: "Antisemitism, the most ancient and complex form of hatred, is an intellectual and social illness that poses an imminent challenge and a pressing danger to Jewish life and well-being.

"Antisemitism is rampant across Europe and the US and has entered the mainstream media, academia, and sometimes politics. Unfortunately, this is not new news anymore," she said, adding she was alarmed that in the last two years "we are facing a consolidation of several social trends, global challenges, political ideologies and technological capabilities that enable antisemitism to spike, touch a variety of audiences and reach new peaks.

"Medieval conspiracy theories and blood libels are coming to life with 21st-century cloaks. The defamation of the Jewish state replaced the politically incorrect Jew-hatred," she said.

Lozhkin, who is also vice president of the World Jewish Congress, said that while the event is taking place 30 years after the advent of relations between Israel and Ukraine, "we want to take a broader look at this date."

"The bond between Jews and Ukrainians has existed much longer – for centuries – and there were different periods in this time, as happens between any neighbors," he noted, pointing to the tragic events that took place at Babi Yar as one such example.

In the span of just two days on Sept. 29-30, 1941, the Nazis and their Ukrainian collaborators committed one of the Holocaust's largest (and quickest) massacres when they murdered, one by one, a staggering 33,771 Jews in Babi Yar – a massive ravine situated on the outskirts of the country's capital of Kiev, Ukraine.

Lozhkin recently presented to Dayan, a new book titled Righteous Among the Nations, Ukraine.

"Among the Jews and residents of Israel, it is probably difficult to find someone who has not heard about Yad Vashem and the Righteous Among the Nations," Lozhkin said. "As for the representatives of other peoples and residents of other countries, for them, these are not entirely obvious concepts."

The book contains "salvation stories" that detail the enemies, victims and heroes of Ukraine during World War II.

"We decided that it would be right to tell a wider audience about the events of 80 years ago and placed 2,674 stories of the salvation of Jews by Ukrainians in the book," Lozhkin said. "It is difficult to find a better and more correct way of communicating the truth about the Holocaust and, in general, preserving the memory of it, than by telling the specific stories."

Lozhkin pointed out that there are likely many more stories of Ukrainians who saved Jews but their names have been lost.

Nevertheless, he said, "I think we are simply obliged to talk about each righteous person. By telling these stories, we are, at the same time, telling about the Holocaust. Truth and education are the tools that, better than others, knock the ground from under the feet of antisemitism. If such a book is not yet available in other countries where they officially recognize righteous people, I recommend that it be published."

Lozhkin added that because the issue of antisemitism is not only about Jews, "I am happy that not only Jews will be among the guests and speakers.

"Antisemitism is like a litmus test for determining the mental health of a given society," he said. "If there is a bad attitude towards Jews, then there will almost certainly also be serious remarks in relation to other peoples, religions, cultures and to human rights in general, in a broad sense. I don't want to say that everything begins with antisemitism, but it almost always ends with it.

"The root of evil is ignorance," he noted. "This is the third time we will be discussing this issue and, unfortunately, most likely it will not be the last. I hope that our esteemed speakers will be able to take a fresh look at the problem and suggest effective ways to neutralize or even reduce it."

Another panel will highlight Israel as the startup nation in the world.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"The time has come to learn from Israel today, and not only for Ukraine but for the whole world," Lozhkin said. "Being small in size and also young in comparison with [other] countries, Israel can teach a lot to everyone who wants to learn. Ukraine will definitely benefit from the Israeli experience."

Guests and speakers of the forum will also include president of the World Jewish Congress Ronald S. Lauder; the ambassadors of Israel to Ukraine and of Ukraine to Israel Michael Brodsky and Yevgen Korniychuk; the heads of the health authorities of both countries; the UN and European Commission antisemitism commissioners; CEO of the American Jewish Committee David Harris; Euro-Asian Jewish Congress president Mikhail Mirilashvili, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff; national president and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt; and many others.

Robert Singer, chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact, said: "As a Ukrainian-born Jew whose family was among the first that emigrated from Ukraine to Israel in the 1970s, I am honored to co-organize the event. I had the pleasure of being among the organizers of the 75th-anniversary ceremony of the Babyn Yar massacre. This tragic history is a reminder of how far we have come in all aspects, and I'm sure that our countries will continue to enhance these important relations in the upcoming years."

Lozhkin said he expects the forum to reach half a million viewers around the world.

"Representation of speakers at the Kyiv Jewish Forum is growing every year, and interest in the topics discussed on our forums is also growing," he said. "Let's not forget about the importance of Ukraine for the Jewish world. Until the beginning of the 20th century, a quarter of all Jews in the world lived on the territory of current Ukraine. Today, descendants or immigrants from Ukraine can be found among Jews almost everywhere. In Israel alone, there are about 500,000 of them. This, among other things, can explain the increased interest in the global discussion platform, organized by us."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Global leaders to discuss major Jewish issues at annual Kyiv Jewish Forum appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Head of the Ukrainian parliament's Israel-Ukrainian Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Alexander Kunitsky, helped advocate for the honor bestowed on Markowitz, who is also expected to receive the Ukraine's highest civilian honor, the President's Medal.

 Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Markowitz's son, Ariel, said that his father is "the only rabbi in the history of the Ukraine to be awarded to President's Medal, and only the fourth religious figure in history to be so honored.

"My father's grandfather was a rabbi in the Ukraine at a time when he had to hide his activity, and now my father is receiving a citation signed by the president. It's amazing," Ariel Markowitz said.

For the past 20 years, Markowitz Sr. has served as the Chabad emissary in Kiev as well as the city's chief rabbi. He has been at the forefront of extensive social and educational activity, which only increased after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We published the phone numbers of [Jewish] community [resources] and helped every citizen who reached out, without asking if they were Jewish," Ariel Markowitz said.

Currently, Markowitz has been working to find a crisis on the ban against Hassidic Jews flying to the Ukraine to mark the High Holidays at the burial site of Rabbi Nahman of Uman, an issue that has become a flashpoint in Israel and the Jewish world.

"My father helped get the Hassidim held in the Ukraine released," Ariel Markowitz said. "He was in contact with [Israeli] Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, and also spoke to whoever he needed to in order to have them allowed in. He tries to do good wherever he can."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Ukrainian government honors rabbi of Kiev appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Joel Lion, the Israeli ambassador in Ukraine, tweeted a picture Monday of the monument in Kryvyi Rih, a city in eastern Ukraine, with the inscription covered in spray paint. "I hope that justice will prevail," Lion said in the tweet, adding that the monument is located near President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's parents' home.

Local police have opened a criminal probe into the incident.

Ukraine has seen numerous cases of vandalism at Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust memorials across the country. Hateful graffiti has also been painted on synagogues and Jewish institutions across the country.

In November, vandals painted swastikas on a monument to prominent Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.

Kryvyi Rih was occupied by the Nazis between 1941 and 1944.

The post Monument to Holocaust victims vandalized in Ukraine appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

It is yet another case of anti-Semitism in Ukraine in the past several weeks.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

In September, for instance, unidentified criminals desecrated a monument dedicated to the Jews who perished in a massacre in Bogdanovka village in the Nikolayev region.

The attackers this week spray-painted a swastika in red and left a note with threats to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former transportation minister Yevhen Chervonenko, who are Jewish; and head of Ukrainian Jewish Committee Eduard Dolinsky.

Haim Ben-Yakov, CEO of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, addressed the Ukrainian government, saying "to our great dismay, recently we have been witnessing an increasing number of anti-Semitic incidents all across Ukraine. The country's law-enforcement agencies must do everything possible to find and prosecute the criminals. Desecration of monuments is an alarming symptom of a troubling condition, which can develop into a more acute form."

"It is urgent that we act promptly and decisively in order to avert further escalation of anti-Semitic sentiment in the country," he stressed.

On Nov. 27, Kiev will host the first Summit of Euroasian Jewry, bringing hundreds of Jewish leaders from across the region together for the first time.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Vandals scrawl swastika on monument to Sholem Aleichem in Kiev appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Netanyahu said he was traveling at the invitation of Ukraine's recently elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, in what Israeli media reported was the first visit to the country by an Israeli premier in 20 years.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Netanyahu said, "We have hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens from Ukraine who constitute a living bridge between the two countries, and the link between us is tightening. The president and I will discuss the establishment of a free trade zone and a pension agreement, as well as a series of other issues that will further strengthen the excellent connection between the two countries.

Zelensky, who is Jewish, has hinted at admiration for the Jewish State, invoking its defensive prowess in his inauguration speech in May.

"We must become Icelanders in soccer, Israelis in defending our land, Japanese in technology," he was quoted by the BBC as saying in a pledge to protect the "protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."

More than a million people from former Soviet republics came to Israel after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

While in Ukraine, Netanyahu will also visit the memorial at Babi Yar, the site where Nazi soldiers and local collaborators shot and killed over 33,000 Ukrainian Jews in April 1941.

Analysts say that Netanyahu is looking to bolster the standing of his Likud party among Israelis of Ukrainian origin ahead of the Sept. 17 election.

Such voters have historically been inclined to vote for the nationalist and pro-Russian Yisrael Beytenu party, led by Netanyahu rival Avigdor Lieberman.

Netanyahu and his right-wing and religious allies won the most seats in an April election but failed to forge a viable coalition prompting a repeated round of elections.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

The post Netanyahu embarks on Ukraine visit ahead of September election appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Zelensky, 41, was sworn into office in a ceremony held at Ukraine's parliament in Kiev.

Taking the oath of office, Zelensky, who is Jewish, pledged to "protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine" evoking the defensive prowess of Israel.

"We must become Icelanders in soccer, Israelis in defending our land, Japanese in technology," he was quoted by the BBC as saying.

Zelensky announced the dissolution of parliament and called for early elections.

"People must come to power who will serve the public," he said.

Zelensky's bid for the presidency started as a joke but struck a chord with voters who were frustrated by poverty, corruption and a five-year war between pro-Russian separatist groups and government forces that has claimed some 13,000 lives.

Zelensky takes the helm of a country of 45 million people beset by challenges as Ukraine's youngest-ever president in the post-Soviet era and with no political experience.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.

The post Ukraine's newly sworn-in Jewish president: 'We must defend our land like Israelis' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The poll said Zelenskiy had won 73% of the vote and that Poroshenko had won just 25% of the vote.

Ukrainians voted on Sunday in a presidential runoff as the nation's incumbent leader struggled to fend off a strong challenge by the comedian, who denounced corruption and played the role of president in a TV sitcom.

Zelenskiy, who is of Jewish descent, has said that religion is a personal matter and plays no part in his campaign. If elected, he would become the country's first Jewish president.

The post Jewish comedian Zelenskiy wins Ukrainian presidential race by landslide: exit poll appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.