ABSTRACT
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained a heightened interest in the Moscow existence. In March 1989 the new coalition government in Israel presented a peace plan for the Middle East. The Middle East peace process could be advanced through ties with Israel; the gross inhumanity in the procedures relating to Jewish emigration was unnecessary and counterproductive from the Soviet point of view. A solution to the Middle East crisis could be advanced if the USSR had direct, official contacts with Israel. Many members of the Israeli establishment were anxious to see the evil empire for themselves. The Soviet authorities were aware of this growing interest of Israeli politicians, but their response was hardly encouraging: the granting of visas remained a long, drawn-out affair and had often to be accomplished outside of Israel, in Athens or Vienna. The Soviet mission in Tel Aviv was not authorized to hand out any visas.
