A slight increase in the number of Jewish immigrants arriving from the Soviet Union was noticed in March and the trend continued during the first ten days of April, it was reported today. Political circles here predicted that Russian authorities would increase the number of exit permits granted to Jews so that when President Nixon visits Moscow on May 22 they can point to a significant number of emigrants should the President raise the issue of Jewish emigration. The situation of Soviet Jews was the subject of a television panel discussion last night.
Avraham Agmon, director general of the Finance Ministry, who served two tours of duty at the Israeli Embassy in Moscow – a total of six years – claimed that unless the Soviet authorities halt emigration, the number of Jews departing will reach the hundreds of thousands perhaps millions. Premier Golda Meir who made a guest appearance on the program, said she hoped Soviet emigres would settle in development areas of their own, just as there are North African and Anglo-Saxon development areas in Israel.
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