ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 7, 1990                   TAG: 9006070123
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: JERUSALEM                                LENGTH: Short


SOVIET SETTLERS MORE THAN OFFICIAL ISRAEL TALLY

The Israeli government has portrayed the influx of Soviet Jews to the occupied lands as minuscule, but a survey completed Wednesday estimated more than 3,700 Soviet Jews are living on land seized from Jordan in 1967.

The settlement of Soviet Jews in occupied territory has been criticized by Arab governments, and Israel reported this week that only 318 Soviet immigrants have moved into the West Bank.

But an AP survey indicated that, in addition, more than 3,400 Soviets have moved to five suburbs of Arab east Jerusalem since 1989. Although Israel took Arab east Jerusalem from Jordan in the Mideast war, Israel annexed the areas and does not consider the suburbs occupied territory.

The survey also indicated the immigration to the occupied West Bank and Arab east Jerusalem is far short of the mass influx feared by the Arabs.



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