The Israeli consular delegation in Moscow has been instructed by the Foreign Ministry to lower its media profile.
Officials in Jerusalem are reported to believe that the massive media scrutiny accorded to the delegation since it arrived in Moscow last Thursday has displeased the Kremlin, which delayed the granting of visas for many months.
The Israelis point to the disparity between the attention given to the delegation by the Israeli news media and the foreign press corps in Moscow, and the scant publicity it has received in the Soviet press.
Some sources also expressed regret that the Israeli media had erroneously projected that the delegation would receive an enthusiastic and emotional welcome from Soviet Jews.
In fact, Soviet Jews have as yet not shown much interest in the delegation.
Only about 60 Soviet Jews came to the Moscow synagogue to meet the Israelis when they attended Shabbat services last Friday night. Local Jews have expressed mixed feelings about the delegation’s presence in Moscow.
This is due partly to Soviet Jewish opposition to Israeli government plans to institute direct flights to Israel via Bucharest. The policy is aimed at reducing the large percentage of “dropouts”–those who change their destination for the United States on their purported way to Israel.
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