Israel is ready to abolish visas for Russians. A respective proposal has been approved by the ministerial commission of the country that has passed the documents to the Cabinet. The main condition of visas abolishment is the principle of mutuality – the commission insists that the Israeli citizens must get the same preferences from the Russian side as Israel will give to Russians.
      
      At first the Israeli Department of Homeland Security was against the idea of dropping visas between the two countries: there was a fear that visa-free-travel regime with Russia might cause an influx of Russian prostitutes and other undesirable elements to the country.
      
      However, now the Israeli side finds it profitable if the number of Russian tourists to Israel increases. The initiator of the idea – Minister of Tourism Yitzhak Aaronovich – has called the taken decision a “triumph of the common sense”.
      
      At the same time Russian tour operators are sure that the number of Israelis to Russia will increase by 20-25%. Around 1/3 of the Israeli population are citizens who left the republics of the former USSR and refused the Russian citizenship for getting the Israeli one. Now they need a visa in order to visit their relatives and friends living in Russia. This category of citizens is thought to be the most interested in visas abolishment and may become the basis of the influx of Israeli tourists to Russia.