Herzog welcomed in Ukraine on first state visit

• Published date: 06 October 2021
• Author: ORI LEWIS
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

His first state visit since taking office is centered around Wednesday's inauguration of a project to turn the Babyn Yar ravine where Nazi forces massacred tens of thousands of Jews, which is now a verdant public park, into a commemorative site 80 years after the atrocity.

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Herzog received a gun salute and inspected an honor guard at the rococo-style Mariinsky Palace after a military band played the national anthems.

Israel's head of state was due to address the parliament, but an internal political row forced it to be canceled.

The Ukrainian parliament speaker was facing a vote to remove him from his post, and local politicians considered it inappropriate for a speech by a visiting leader to take place, a senior official traveling with Herzog told The Jerusalem Post.

"It's all because of internal political matters, and we are not involved in the decision," the official said. "It has nothing to do with us."

Ukraine was planning to present a resolution to the United Nations by the end of the year over Russia's occupation of Crimea and the Donbas region in the east of the country, Zelensky said in a statement to the media following his meeting with Herzog. The conflict is raging hundreds of kilometers to the east and does not noticeably affect daily life in Kyiv and other regions of the country of some 44 million people, but it has touched a sensitive nerve among proud Ukrainians who are incensed by Russia's actions.

Israel and Ukraine are important friends and partners in many fields, but Jerusalem has been careful to maintain a neutral stance on the issue, not wanting to upset either adversary.

In his statement to the media, Herzog told Zelensky: "Concerning the conflict between you and Russia, we always say, consistently, that we believe that a diplomatic solution is the correct solution. We shall support it and all efforts to reach a solution."

Herzog spoke about issues of mutual interest to both countries and said he had invited Zelensky to visit Israel and that the invitation had been accepted.

"Our relations are centered on the past, the present and the future," he said. "The Jewish people have a proud history in this country; some of the great personalities of the Jewish people and of Israel were born and grew up here."

Zelensky said: "It is very symbolic that your first visit as president is to us, here in...