A several-week-old secret decision by the Israel Cabinet to admit organized parties of German tourists to visit Israel was revealed today by local newspapers which reported that the first group was due to arrive in July.
When a tourist applies for a visa to enter Israel he must present a certificate issued by the Bonn Government that he had not been an active Nazi.
It is understood that the reason for the Cabinet’s secrecy is not a matter of principle but of security for the visitors. Individual travelers from Germany have already entered the Jewish State, but it is thought that large groups might receive an unfriendly reception from the Israeli people. Some estimates of the number of German tourists who could be expected to visit Israel this year range as high as 1, 000.
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