By:  David Parsons, ICEJ VP & Senior Int. Spokesman

“Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,” says the Lord, “Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity…” 

(Jeremiah 30:10a)

Dear Friends and Supporters,

What turbulent times we live in! The global corona health crisis finally seems to be waning and suddenly there is a major war between Russia and Ukraine.

The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine has been smoldering since 2014, but now it has been deliberately escalated with the Russian military’s multi-pronged invasion of their democratic neighbor. There is widespread shock and fear as many in Ukraine did not expect the raging battle to come so close so quickly. And once unleashed, who knows where this war may lead.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brazen orders to crush Ukraine’s independent spirit harkens back to the ominous Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia to snuff out the Prague Spring in August 1968. This aggression also represents a dangerous flaunting of the global order and could have very serious consequences, especially for Israel and the Middle East.

Until yesterday, Israeli leaders had been very cautious about weighing in on the growing Russia-Ukraine crisis due to the delicate balancing act Jerusalem must play. There are still large Jewish communities in both countries, and Russia could easily harm Israeli interests through its military presence in Syria and strategic alliance with Iran.

Meantime, we at the ICEJ are concerned for the peoples of both Ukraine and Russia, and especially for the Body of believers in each nation who have been united and reconciled by their identity in Christ. We certainly pray for all their safety and that they may have courage and absolute trust in God at this time. We also are praying for true peacemakers to arise in this volatile crisis to bring a quick end to the violence and bloodshed.

The sharp escalation of the Ukraine conflict is an unfolding tragedy, but it also presents Christians who love Israel with an opportunity to help Jewish communities fleeing the fighting in Ukraine.

The ICEJ has been involved in the Aliyah from Ukraine since the 1980s. We were especially active in the early 1990s when we helped transport over 35,000 Ukrainian Jews on their way to Israel by sponsoring the Exobus project. Another 7,000 later came out in special van convoys regularly sent into western Ukraine by the ICEJ’s Swiss branch. And since the conflict in eastern Ukraine first erupted in 2014, the Christian Embassy has assisted with the Aliyah of over 2,000 more Ukrainian Jews seeking to reach Israel.

Now, the Jewish Agency For Israel has requested the ICEJ’s help with their urgent plans to evacuate imperiled Jewish families from Ukraine and fly them to Israel. Counting those who are Jewish and their close relatives, there an estimated 200,000 people remaining in Ukraine who are eligible to make Aliyah.

The areas of immediate need right now are three-fold:

1. Evacuation and Shelter: An initial 3,000 potential Jewish immigrants need to be rescued and provided refuge for up to 2-3 weeks, likely in a third country, until they can be airlifted to Israel. The expected costs will be US $850 per person.
2. Rescue Flights: The costs to fly some 3,000 Jewish immigrants to Israel will be US $805 per person on average. This includes airline tickets and bus transport to the airports.
3. Emergency Housing and Care in Israel: Once they arrive in Israel, it will cost about US $1,250 per person to house and feed these refugee immigrants for up to three months at absorption centers and other emergency accommodations.

Please give generously to this urgent need to rescue Jewish families caught up in the fighting across Ukraine and help them reach safety in Israel. You can make a real, timely difference in rescuing Jewish lives from danger.

Also, keep in mind that these evacuation efforts will be difficult and even dangerous for those involved. So, please be praying for divine protection over the Israeli and JAFI representatives, and all the local Jewish and Christian volunteer workers on the ground in Ukraine, as well as the Jewish families themselves as they make their way to Israel.