The young girl had spent nearly a sixth of her life in accidental exile after Israel sealed its borders.
Afula, Israel:
Melaniya Petrushanska spent nearly a sixth of her life in accidental exile after Israel sealed her borders while she was abroad on what was supposed to be a short vacation.
The three-year-old Ukrainian immigrant daughter had a tearful reunion with her parents this week after an Israeli airline agreed to return her, with a special escort, from Kiev, where she had flown with her. grandmother in january.
Return flights had dried up as Israel imposed lockdowns to stem the spread of the pandemic – with initial success, though the country is now struggling with a resurgence.
Petrushanska’s mother, Alona, recalled how, speaking to her stranded daughter via video conference, she explained that “the planes are sick … there was no way to bring her back because everyone was sick”.
Although Petrushanska is an Israeli citizen, her grandmother was not, preventing her from entering the country during the lockdown of one of the few planes still available, Alona said.
The girl’s parents also felt blocked. Flying to Ukraine would have required two 14-day quarantines there and upon his return. Alona said she and her husband could not afford this, given their precarious employment prospects as the Israeli economy collapsed.
Israir was the only airline that agreed to take on such a young unaccompanied minor, Alona said. She added that Israir paid the bill for a representative to escort the girl.
The fact that Melaniya must now self-isolate as a precaution against coronaviruses is ignored by the family, although she is thirsty for the outdoors.
“Now we feel good, because … finally we are together after such a long and difficult time,” Alona said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
