Israel Revises Invitations to Soviet Jews : New Procedure May Result in Fewer Emigres Leaving for U.S.

The Israeli government has changed its procedure for issuing invitations to Soviet Jews wishing to emigrate, a policy that eventually may result in fewer Soviet Jews leaving for the United States, according to Jewish sources and Western diplomats here.

The primary change is that the official invitation from Israel, inviting Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel for reasons of family reunification, now stipulates that an Israeli visa should be picked up at the Israeli Embassy in Bucharest, Romania--the only nation in Eastern Europe that maintains diplomatic relations with Israel.

Recent emigration, in which most Jews have left for Israel via Vienna, shows that an estimated 75% of the departing Jews, upon reaching Austria, declare their intention to take up residence in the United States rather than in the Jewish state.

Israel has expressed disappointment that so many Soviet emigres, who tend to be highly educated and well-trained, choose not to emigrate to Israel.

Jewish groups in the United States are concerned that a shift in visa policy might deny Soviet Jews the right to freely choose where they want to go.

One State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the department has maintained that Soviet emigres should be free to choose their destination.

According to the Jewish and diplomatic sources, the new procedure apparently was initiated by Israel a month ago. So far, it has not affected emigration, they said.

Vladimir Kislik, a prominent Soviet Jew who has been trying to emigrate, said he had spoken to more than 10 others who had received the new form of

Fly Directly to Israel

Jews picking up visas in Bucharest presumably will be expected to fly directly to Israel.

Once in Israel, Jews become citizens of Israel under the so-called Law of Return. After Israeli citizenship is granted, Jews may find it difficult to emigrate to the United States because they will no longer be regarded as refugees, according to Western diplomats.

After obtaining an invitation from Israel, Soviet Jews wanting to emigrate apply to the Soviet visa office. If the application is approved, an exit visa for Israel is granted in place of a passport.

The Dutch Embassy, which represents Israeli interests here, stamps the exit visa with a visa for Israel, and the emigrant can get there through Vienna or Bucharest.

Soviet Jews who have called the Dutch Embassy have been told that despite the change in the invitations from Israel, there has been no change in emigration policy and that the embassy will continue to issue visas for Israel in Moscow.

Jewish sources express the fear that Soviet Jews living in outlying areas will be unaware of the nuances of the official policy and will proceed to Bucharest as instructed by the Israeli invitation without checking to see if they still have a right to travel via Vienna.

There has been speculation that as part of a warming in relations between the Soviets and Israel, the Israelis would seek to move control of the visa-issuing process to the Israeli Embassy in Bucharest.

In Washington, an official at the Israeli Embassy, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the invitation and visa procedure will change gradually in order to ensure that Soviet Jews invited by Israeli relatives “will be able to go only to Israel.”

The procedure does not unfairly limit the emigration choice to Israel, he said, since the Soviet Union now considers valid an invitation from any close relative of a Soviet Jew, no matter where.

Soviet Jews are currently being granted exit permission at the rate of 1,000 a month, as opposed to 100 a month a year and a half ago.

In Washington, the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews said it has known of Israel’s new visa policy for about two weeks but has seen no evidence yet that departing Jews have been prevented from leaving by way of Vienna and then emigrating to the United States.

However, the union’s national director, Micah H. Naftalin, said his organization is urging the State Department to take “immediate steps” such as issuing an administrative ruling to ensure that any Soviet Jews who arrive in Israel as a result of the new procedures still have the option of continuing on to the United States or any other country as refugees, if they choose.

Times staff writers Robert Gillette and Don Shannon, in Washington, contributed to this article.