An Israeli detained on the way to Uman due to EU sanctions

In the Romanian city of Iasi, an Israeli citizen was detained while heading to Ukraine to visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. The incident occurred about a week ago immediately after his arrival in Romania, where the man was informed of the European Union sanctions against him.

According to sources, the very fact of the restrictions was unexpected for the Israeli: before crossing the border, he had not received any notifications about the entry or transit ban.

After landing at Iasi airport, the man was not allowed to continue his route. He was sent back to the departure area and officially notified that he was not allowed to leave the terminal and had to return to Israel.

The return flight was initially scheduled for Saturday. During this period, he was also prohibited from receiving food from outside, including kosher products, which created serious difficulties in observing religious norms.

The situation changed after an urgent appeal from the office of Knesset member Amit Halevi. As a result of negotiations, the Romanian side agreed to reschedule the flight to Tuesday and allowed the man to receive kosher food in the waiting area.

However, a new problem arose on site: there were no available kosher products in Iasi. Assistance was provided by Jewish religious organizations outside the city.

The Stefanesti synagogue, led by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Salmon, and the Chabad community in Chernivtsi, headed by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Glitzstein, joined in organizing support. Together, they arranged the delivery of kosher food and grape juice for Kiddush. The main batch arrived on Saturday after a six-hour journey.

On Tuesday, after almost a week of forced stay in the transit area of Iasi airport, the Israeli flew back to Israel on a direct flight. The story highlights how strictly EU sanction mechanisms can be applied in practice, even in cases of religious trips, and the role international Jewish solidarity plays in such situations, as regularly reported by NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency.