The Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk is on a working visit to the State of Israel. At the beginning of her working trip, the Vice Speaker held meetings with volunteer organizations and visited a number of Israeli cities.
She met with internally displaced persons from Ukraine and discussed with local authorities the issue of providing assistance to those who have found temporary refuge in Israel.
During the trip, the Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also familiarized herself with the system of bomb shelters and the production of secure safety rooms to protect Israeli residents from missile attacks.
In particular, Olena Kondratiuk visited Israel’s largest automated logistics hub in Netanya.
“This hub has become the heart of sending humanitarian and medical aid from Israel to Ukraine. I am grateful to the Ukrainian-Israeli Association NEXUS, which organized a fundraiser and, in cooperation with SAREL, is purchasing tactical first aid kits, turnstiles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as medical equipment and instruments for the Ukrainian healthcare system. Since the first day of the full-scale war, NEXUS has organized and delivered more than 130 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine,” the Vice Speaker noted.
She also met with Ukrainians who have found temporary shelter in Ashdod and discussed with the the Vice Mayor of the municipality, a native of Kyiv, Shimon Katznelson, the functioning of centers for IDPs from Ukraine.
“Our IDPs in Ashdod are provided with comprehensive support: food, housing, and employment. Children who came to Ashdod went to school. They are provided with laptops, backpacks, stationery, and are able to learn Hebrew. We thank the local authorities and charitable organizations of Israel for their sincere support of Ukrainians,” emphasized Olena Kondratiuk.
In Ashkelon, which is located only 10 km from the Gaza Strip, the Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine familiarized herself with the functioning of the bomb shelter system. Together with MPs Olha Vasilevska-Smahliuk and Viktoriia Kinzburska, Olena Kondratiuk visited the RB-DOORS company, which is engaged in the construction and equipment of protected premises.
For Israel, the presence of secure rooms made of steel and concrete in every apartment has been an absolute standard and requirement for all developers for decades. These rooms are also equipped with their own ventilation and reinforced doors. They are designed to ensure that children and adults who hide in them can survive even in the event of a direct hit to a residential building and its collapse, the Vice Speaker shared her impression.
“It is a particularly valuable experience for Ukraine to see with my own eyes how the state, local authorities and business together care about high standards of safety and protection of citizens, residential buildings and social infrastructure under the constant threat of missile attacks. We have more in common than it seems at first glance. After all, the need to constantly adapt to living and working in such dangerous realities is what unites Ukraine and Israel today,” summarized Olena Kondratiuk.