Israeli dignitaries will be at Lydda Airport tonight to greet the nation’s three-millionth citizen–Nathan Therolinkov, an immigrant from the Soviet Union who is due here on a flight from Vienna. Therolinkov, an engineer, is coming with his wife and daughter. Absorption Minister Nathan Peled will personally present the newcomers with their official identity cards. Later they will be received by Premier Golda Meir. The advance announcement of the ceremonial welcome marked a departure from past practice when the arrival of Jews from the Soviet Union was treated with restraint. The welcome planned for the Therolinkov family is regarded as a demonstrative gesture on behalf of Russian Jews who want to go to Israel but cannot obtain exit visas. There was no indication from any sources why Therolinkov, a professional and apparently a young man, was permitted to leave while other Russian Jews are denied emigration rights. New immigrants are automatically granted Israeli citizenship on arrival. The official listing of Therolinkov as the three-millionth Israeli is based on year-end statistics which showed that as of Dec. 31, 1970 Israel’s population fell only 2000 short of the three million mark.
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