For years, Israel has been trying to steer Soviet Jews to the Holy Land, only to have most of them veer off to the U.S. Jerusalem complains that Jews who use exit visas for Israel to get out of the U.S.S.R. should go to Israel. So there was some Israeli gloating when the U.S. had to confess that it would be unable to accept most of the 300,000 emigres, many of them Jewish, who are expected to be leaving the Soviet Union during the next year. Israel said it would happily take in 100,000 Soviet Jews by 1992. There is a good chance, however, that at least some of the newcomers might ultimately be housed in the occupied West Bank, where U.S. policy strongly opposes Israeli expansion. Secretary of State Baker was none too pleased with that prospect when Israel informally requested $400 million in loan guarantees to build housing for new emigrants. His frosty response: the U.S. was unlikely to be able to find that sum "in this day of severe budget constraints."