Gorbachev Gets Warm Welcome on Israel Visit
Ex-Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev received a warm, high-level reception Sunday that went well beyond what Israel normally gives an out-of-office politician.
It reflected how much Israel has benefited from the changes in the former Soviet Union--the formation of ties with Moscow, the demise of Moscow’s backing for Arab causes and the influx of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
Officials described the visit as “personal,” but Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa, were greeted by Foreign Minister David Levy at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. Gorbachev later met for an hour with Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and separately with Levy.
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