Dim Amor

Abduction and State Misconduct: Yonatan Karlinsky was abducted by the Ukrainian authorities, detained at the border and forcibly conscripted – while Israel leaves one of its own citizens to face a system holding him against his will.

A grave and deeply disturbing case is sparking outrage and profound concern within Israel and the Jewish community: Yonatan Karlinsky, 49, a resident of Beitar Illit and the father of a daughter, who holds Israeli citizenship and only Ukrainian consular registration, was detained on Ukrainian territory, is being held against his will and has been forcibly conscripted into the Ukrainian military.

The case, described by various sources as a crime and an unprecedented legal and humanitarian failure, raises serious questions about the conduct and policies of the Ukrainian authorities. At the same time, it puts the State of Israel’s resolve to the test: whether it will act to secure the release of an Israeli citizen from the grip of a regime subjecting him to coercive and allegedly unlawful measures.

Ukrainian authorities claim that Karlinsky holds "dual citizenship". However, this assertion is fundamentally misleading and risks deceiving both Israeli government officials and the public.

From a legal standpoint, an unequivocal clarification is required: Ukrainian consular registration (Consular Registration) does not constitute "dual citizenship", nor is it a status equivalent to citizenship or residency. It is merely an administrative mechanism designed to record, with the relevant consular authorities, the personal details and place of residence of a citizen living outside the country.

Consular registration in itself does not confer citizenship, does not establish an additional bond of citizenship and cannot serve as a substitute for a lawful naturalization process. Under Ukrainian law, citizenship status and consular registration are two entirely separate legal matters.

Accordingly, portraying consular registration as "dual citizenship" distorts the facts and presents a misleading legal picture. The registration exists solely to regulate the relationship between citizens residing abroad and their diplomatic or consular missions, and to facilitate the provision of consular services.

The distinction is equally critical in the diplomatic relationship between Jerusalem and Kyiv: consular registration, in and of itself, does not constitute additional citizenship, does not confer citizenship and does not grant residency status.

Karlinsky, a Breslov Hasid who immigrated to Israel and became religiously observant after previously serving in the Ukrainian military, travelled, as he does each year, to the major annual gathering of Breslov Hasidim in Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

On his way back to Israel, during a document inspection at the Ukraine-Romania border crossing, it emerged that the local authorities still regarded him as subject to military service. He was detained on the spot by Ukrainian military police, and direct contact with him was subsequently severed.

Approximately a week and a half after his detention, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) reported that Karlinsky had been transferred to a detention facility for alleged military deserters in the Odesa region.

According to reports, a decision was made to assign him as a medic to a military unit in the Kharkiv area, given his medical knowledge and the Ukrainian military’s severe shortage of medical personnel. Members of Ukraine’s Jewish community attempted to secure his release but encountered an uncompromising stance from the authorities, who made clear that, as far as they were concerned, "there are no exemptions".

In the first exclusive video footage obtained by the "AMS" news desk, Karlinsky is seen at a military camp, appearing exhausted and fatigued.

In the video, Karlinsky says: "Hello, I am Karlinsky Yonatan Moshe. I am currently at a Ukrainian army recruitment facility. I am being treated with respect here, but I cannot perform military duties because of my religious beliefs, which do not permit me to use weapons".

His relative and attorney, Shlomo Haddad, who is handling the matter on behalf of the family, maintained contact with those involved in efforts to assist him.

The Federation stated that Karlinsky would not be stationed in a forward combat zone but rather at a rear base dozens of kilometres from the front line, where he would serve as a member of the medical staff.

It was further reported that his condition had been checked and found to be satisfactory, and that he had been provided with kosher food for weekdays and Shabbat, as well as meals for before and after the Yom Kippur fast, together with a prayer book and a set of the "Four Species" for Sukkot. This assistance was provided with the help of Chabad’s emissary in Odesa, Rabbi Shneur Vigler, and the Chief Rabbi of Odesa and Southern Ukraine, Rabbi Avraham Wolff.

Further inquiries disproved the initial claim that Karlinsky was entitled to an exemption under Ukrainian law as the father of six children, after it emerged that he is the father of only one daughter.

The Federation officially stated: "The fact that Karlinsky possesses medical knowledge, together with the Ukrainian army’s growing shortage of medical personnel, means that the military needs him very much at present and cannot release him. Moreover, he served in the army in the past, before becoming religious and immigrating to Israel, and from their perspective, he belongs to them".

Rabbi Meir Stambler, chairman of the Jewish communities in Ukraine, addressed the complexity of the situation, saying: "Ukraine is fighting an extremely difficult war against an aggressive enemy that for nearly five years has been striking people, buildings, schools, hospitals and more. People are being killed every day, and as a result there is a severe shortage of manpower. Every Ukrainian citizen is needed here, and therefore it is impossible to obtain exemptions. In comparison with Israel, it would be as if Hamas and Hezbollah invaded the country and Israel were still unable to repel them even after five years. This is truly a war for survival".

Rabbi Stambler nevertheless added: "Ukraine is doing everything it can, and we are very grateful for its consideration of the needs of every religion and every soldier. Karlinsky said that, for religious reasons, he does not want to carry a weapon, and they accommodated him by assigning him as a medic. Perhaps later we will be able to integrate him into the Ukrainian military rabbinate".

The case, now reverberating widely, has brought back into the spotlight earlier warnings that received almost no public attention at the time.

As early as August 12, 2024, the Maakav news desk published a special investigative report warning the Israeli public of the tangible risks facing Israelis holding dual citizenship who enter Ukrainian territory during the war.

A review conducted by Maakav found that, at the time, it was the only media outlet to issue an explicit warning on the matter, highlighting the concrete risk of detention, being prevented from leaving the country, and being subjected to forced conscription procedures by the Ukrainian authorities.

The warning signs were already there: similar incidents had occurred in the past, and the available information indicated that Ukraine continued to regard such Israelis as its own citizens, fully subject to compulsory military service.

Today, the case of Yonatan Karlinsky provides a stark and painful illustration of that warning becoming reality.

The Maakav news desk has submitted an official request for comment to the spokesperson’s office of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeking clarification as to what measures are being taken to protect the Israeli citizen.

As of publication, no response has been received from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.