Human rights activist, Ida Nudel was one of the most prominent refuseniks, also called Prisoners of Zion, Jews who pleaded to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to Israel. There were plenty of congratulations to go around at the press conference at Ben-Gurion Airport moments later, on October 15, 1987. Nudel's arrival was the culmination of the delicate diplomacy which enabled Nudel to exit Russia for her new life in Israel. Industrialist Armand Hammer played no small role in the delicate diplomatic negotiations, In a lighter moment, Hammer tweaks the ear of Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir as Nudel and Foreign Minister listen to Hammer describe the trip out of the Soviet Union aboard his private jet. Nudel was imprisoned and endured harsh punishment and was a source of admiration and inspiration. who emigrated to Israel in 1971. Among Nudel`s strongest supporters were film actresses Liv Ullmann and Jane Fonda and the United States and Israeli governments. Nudel died in Israel on September 14, 2021 at the age of 90.
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