The passengers, who came on two different flights from London and Paris to Kiev, were barred from entering the country.

Ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish pilgrims pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov on the eve of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year, in the town of Uman, Ukraine September 20, 2017 (photo credit: REUTERS/VALENTYN OGIRENKO/FILE PHOTO)
Ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish pilgrims pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov on the eve of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year, in the town of Uman, Ukraine September 20, 2017 (photo credit: REUTERS/VALENTYN OGIRENKO/FILE PHOTO)

 

Dozens of Haredi Jews were forced to remain on a plane in Kiev International Airport following the country’s decision to prevent worshipers from visiting Uman in wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according to Ynet.

The passengers, who came on two different flights from London and Paris to Kiev, were barred from entering the country.

Ukrainian police officers who boarded the plane began rummaging through the passenger’s personal belonging in search of anything that could point to the fact that they were Jews, including Torah books, prayer shawls and other items, according to the passengers.

“…Ukrainian soldiers took phones from passengers who tried to film them,” said Nachman Kostantiner

Half of the passengers were American citizens and the other half were Israelis.

A different group of Haredi Jews that tried to cross into Ukraine from Belarus, but were held up at the border.

In other case, some Haredi Jews who arrived on Renyair flight from London, were deported upon arrival to the Ukraian airport. Ukrainian soldiers reportedly forced the Jewish passengers back on the plane.

On an Air France flight that landed in Kiev, a brawl developed between Haredi Jews and Ukrainian soldiers leading to a four-hour delay.

Some thirty Hardei passengers were stuck on the Air France plane, without food or water under the watchful eye of Ukrainian soldiers.

In one incident, a passenger was hit by Ukrainian solider who used his gunstock.

“People here are completely exhausted. We did not receive food from yesterday. Thirty people are on the verge of fainting,” added Kostantiner.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post