Israeli officials estimate that the government will finance a temporary terminal at Chisinau Airport in Moldova as part of a NIS 20 million operation to support flights to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, N12 reported on Thursday.
The terminal is expected to accommodate up to 500 travelers per hour and will serve thousands of haredim, or ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are planning to make the annual pilgrimage to the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Ukraine. Outbound flights are scheduled to operate from mid to late September, with return journeys taking place in the final week of the month.
Construction of the terminal is expected to cost approximately $2.6 million. That amount will allegedly be transferred to the Moldovan government, while additional costs for policing, security, and food services are estimated at around NIS 7 million. Israel will also send a team of 90 aviation security officers, 24 police officers, and 50 interpreters to manage the operation on the ground, N12 reported.
The agreement is still awaiting final approval from Jerusalem. A senior government official told N12 that Moldova has insisted that funding be transferred immediately, a condition Israeli officials say is unrealistic. The official noted that the government is not able to operate on such a tight timetable.
At the same time, the IDF is preparing to deploy Military Police at all formal exit points from Israel, including Ben-Gurion Airport, land crossings, and seaports. The move is intended to prevent army deserters and draft dodgers from leaving the country to travel to Uman during the High Holy Days.
Political backlash and legal concerns escalate
In August, the government allocated NIS 10 million to support the Uman journey , sparking criticism from several opposition lawmakers who argued that public funds should not be used to facilitate travel for individuals avoiding military service.
Shortly after the funding was approved, the Deputy Attorney-General ruled that the government had no legal authority to permit yeshiva students who had failed to report for military service to leave the country. The official stated that any such arrangement would be unlawful.
Several political leaders, including Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, voiced strong objections to the arrangement. They argued that the state should not be subsidizing flights for those evading national duty, especially during wartime.
The annual pilgrimage to Uman has long been a source of contention within Israeli society. Though seen as a spiritually significant event by members of the Breslov Hasidic movement, the trip continues to draw scrutiny, particularly when national policy intersects with religious privilege. Attendance has exceeded 35,000 in recent years, raising logistical and ethical concerns each time the holiday approaches.