Page 234 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

The demonstration of tens of thousands in the Kings of Israel Square, which was organized by the National Union of Students
Zvi Raviv proposed requesting a meeting with Prime Minister Golda Meir. In those days, several Knesset members posed parliamentary questions to the government regarding the students' involvement in activity for the Soviet Jews, and this apparently led Golda Meir to agree to receive the student leaders.
The meeting, on a cold November day, got off on the wrong foot. Golda announced that she is allocating twenty minutes for them. She let them understand that public, and certainly noisy, activity would only be detrimental and it is best not to hurt the trickle of Aliya that the Soviets did permit. The students remained unconvinced. "It is worthwhile to risk three thousand in order to get a million out," Yona Yahav told her.
The brief conversation ended and the three left the office. Zvi Raviv returned to the office and spoke harshly to the Prime Minister: "Madam, I wish to tell you that we will protest against the government. And do you know why? In order for us to be able to reply to our children in twenty years, when they ask us what we did for the Soviet Jews."
The surprised Golda brought the three back to her office and the meeting began anew. "What exactly do you want?" she asked. "We want action, public activity for the Soviet Jews." Several days later, Yahav was informed by the Prime Minister's secretary, Adi Yafeh, the government decided to launch public activity for the Soviet Jews.
232