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Islamic movement helps Israeli-Arab students flee Ukraine to Israel

About 2,000-2,500 Israel-Arab students study in Ukraine, of which 1,700 have already returned to Israel.

By Baruch Yedid, TPS

The Islamic Movement in Israel opened a situation room over the weekend to help Israeli-Arab students learning in Ukraine who are trapped in the country by the Russian invasion.

The Movement announced that its people have so far managed to reach hundreds of students and helped many of them to leave the borders of Ukraine for Moldova, Poland, and Romania.

The Movement is operating in Ukraine through the ‘Aid 48′ Association and is providing Arab students with money for travel, and food and accommodation solutions.

The activity is coordinated by Dr. Bilal Abbas, head of the Arab Students’ Association “the Arabs of 48” in Ukraine, along with staff from the Islamic Movement and with the assistance of Arab Israeli citizens living in Ukraine and neighboring countries.

The organization has also assisted students from Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, and Lebanon, according to the Movement’s announcement.

Thousands of Israeli citizens who registered at the Israeli embassy in Ukraine were notified to mark themselves as Israeli citizens to make it easier for Israeli diplomats at border crossings to help them leave Ukraine.

“We ask all Israeli citizens who are at the border crossings to display on their bodies or vehicles a prominent sign with the letters ‘IL’ in such a way that Israeli officials can locate Israeli citizens in queues and assist them, if possible,” the statement said.

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Photos posted on social media and seen by TPS show Arab-Israeli students holding up the ‘IL’ signs.

Two buses departed from Kharkiv over the weekend carrying 100 Arab students who made their way to Moldova with the help of the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel.

Officials on behalf of the Islamist Ra’am party and Member of Knesset Iman Khatib-Yasin are in contact with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fly the Arab students who arrived in the city of Iasi in Romania to Israel.

About 2,000 to 2,500 Israel-Arab students study in Ukraine, of which 1,700 have already returned to Israel, and about 500 have remained there. About 150 of them are now looking for a way to return to Israel.