Pilgrims stranded at Romanian border
Thousands of Israeli pilgrims who traveled to Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah to pray at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov are stranded at an airport in Romania, unable to return home due to widespread flight cancellations following the escalation of the war in Gaza and Lebanon.
With many flights from Europe to Israel canceled, the pilgrims have been waiting for hours at Bacau Airport, facing long lines, overcrowding and difficult conditions, including cold weather and lack of basic supplies. Some required medical attention, while others stood in line for hours with small children.
Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri has directed Shas ministers to work with officials in both Israel and Romania to secure the safe return of the stranded pilgrims. However, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, responding to public appeals, said that the situation was unavoidable. “We are at war, and there was a travel advisory. Those who traveled despite this should have accounted for the risks. I'm sorry I can't help,” Arbel said.
"The Ukrainians created a queue and they only accept those who booked an appointment in advance. Sometimes there are no available appointments for the border for many, many hours ahead, it creates crazy chaos," a senior United Breslov official said.
"We arrived at the airport in Bacau in Romania at noon," said Shaul, a pilgrim who stood at the airport entrance for about 10 hours with his three children. "During the many hours, there were also people who were evacuated to hospitals. The Romanian policemen created a bottleneck in which two columns processed hundreds of people. One policeman regulated the passage through the narrow space. The policemen brought water and apples to the people who were standing outside and tried to pull out old people and small children from the line."
Shaul added that those wishing to enter the airport are still standing in a long line. "After entering the airport, there is not enough room for the hundreds of people to sit, there is not even room on the floor. The check-in lines barely move and every time they claim there are no planes. And when there are planes again, the Romanian police creates a bottleneck," he said.
"At first, the travel agencies tried to work in an orderly manner, but the behavior of the Romanian police do not allow this. The travel companies, in an attempt to resolve the situation, load planes like shuttles and not according to the flight time in a first come first serve policy. It takes many hours to get to the counters and everything is dragged out and delayed. By the time people reach the counter, the plane is already leaving."
One of the travel agents spoke painfully about the fact that the Bacau airport management, together with the local police, have taken exclusive control over what is happening on the ground, and they are not ready to listen or let the travel agents admit passengers to fill the flights and mitigate the pressure. As a result, flights depart with empty seats, which worsens the problem even more. The Israeli Foreign Ministry is trying to alleviate the situation.
Rabbi Natan Ben Nun, chairman of United Breslov in Uman, is working with senior officials in nearby countries to expedite the return of the thousands of Hasidic followers to Israel before Yom Kippur. The Foreign Ministry is also attempting to alleviate the situation.
This year, logistical challenges have been compounded by the inability to fly directly into Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. Efforts to use alternate routes, including through Moldova, have been hampered by overcrowding at airports and a lack of coordination. Moldovan authorities have restricted access this year, citing Israel's unpaid debt from last year’s pilgrimage.
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