Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska will land in Israel on Sunday evening following an invitation from her Israeli counterpart, Michal Herzog.
Read more:
Zelenska's visit is a result of a collaboration that has taken place in the past year to strengthen the therapeutic response in the field of mental health and trauma in Ukraine. This collaboration was formed owing to the connection between Zelenska and Israel's First Lady Michal Herzog.
The two will visit on Monday the Safra Children’s Hospital at Sheba Medical Center, and later will continue for a discussion with the Israel Trauma Coalition and NATAL organization, which deals with the treatment of children and trauma victims. Senior Foreign Ministry and European Union officials will also participate in the discussion, as the visit will be accompanied by the EU representative, Katarina Mathernova.
Zelenska is also expected to visit Ukrainian soldiers who are undergoing rehabilitation in Israel, as some 20 soldiers from Ukraine are undergoing treatment, and fitted with prosthetics, with that number expected to increase.
Zelenska has previously expressed that the citizens of Ukraine draw inspiration from Israel's past experience in dealing with wars and security events. She stated, "We learn a lot from Israel in everything related to resilience."
In June of last year, Michal Herzog spoke about her bond with Olena Zelenska and said: "Since the outbreak of the war, we have managed to maintain a connection. In our last conversation, she asked to express her gratitude for the assistance. The establishment of an Israeli field hospital on Ukrainian soil was very significant, and Zelenska testified that the language that is most heard within the borders is Hebrew."