Israel has criticized the Ukrainian authorities’ decision to hold a state ceremony for the reburial of the remains of Andriy Melnyk, one of the leaders of the OUN.
In a statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Jerusalem regrets the decision to hold official ceremonies honoring Melnyk, whom the ministry described as a figure who collaborated with the Nazis.
“We regret the decision to hold an official state reburial ceremony for OUN leader Andriy Melnyk, who collaborated with the Nazis. It is unacceptable to ignore historical truth and the memory of victims murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center also criticized the ceremony.
“The state-level reburial of Andriy Melnyk in Ukraine raises serious concerns. Honoring the leader of a movement that supported Nazi Germany and collaborated with it during the persecution and murder of millions of Jews undermines the integrity required for Holocaust remembrance,” the center said in a statement.
Amid the ceremony in Kyiv, discussion has once again intensified over the possibility of transferring the remains of other OUN leaders to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials had previously spoken about plans to bring Stepan Bandera’s remains back to Ukraine, though Bandera’s relatives have so far refused to consent to a reburial.