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- WORLD, Page 45A Frosty Response
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- For years, Israel has been trying to steer Soviet Jews to the
- Holy Land, only to have most of them veer off to the U.S. Jerusalem
- complains that Jews who use exit visas for Israel to get out of the
- U.S.S.R. should go to Israel. So there was some Israeli gloating
- when the U.S. had to confess that it would be unable to accept most
- of the 300,000 emigres, many of them Jewish, who are expected to
- be leaving the Soviet Union during the next year. Israel said it
- would happily take in 100,000 Soviet Jews by 1992. There is a good
- chance, however, that at least some of the newcomers might
- ultimately be housed in the occupied West Bank, where U.S. policy
- strongly opposes Israeli expansion. Secretary of State Baker was
- none too pleased with that prospect when Israel informally
- requested $400 million in loan guarantees to build housing for new
- emigrants. His frosty response: the U.S. was unlikely to be able
- to find that sum "in this day of severe budget constraints."