In America, there were many unfriendly sentiments toward the communist country...
A snapshot of American feelings in the months before the revolutions in East Europe
The Interview
Wenceslas Square, Prague
"I made a solemn promise because of one experience I had with the Czechoslovak Embassy under communism. It wasn't a very good one. I needed verification of some documents and went to the previous location from the current one. The door was locked; you had to ring the bell. There were glass doors, wrought iron doors with glass, and the next thing I know there is someone moving the little curtain, says, the right hand in pocket, and I only assume he's holding the right hand on a gun. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I just said to my wife when I got back, 'I never want to see them again no matter what.' I needed transcripts from high school, that's all. After the Velvet Revolution, it was November or December of 1989, I picked up the phone and I called the Czechoslovak Embassy and I said, ' You don't know me, I don't know you, but now that you're free, I'd like to help you.'"
Further Analysis
Americans feared communism
America, during the Cold War, was very fearful of communism. As a result, the people of the Czechoslovak Embassy, being communist, were fearful of attack. This is most likely why Mr. Rafaeli ran into the problem he did trying to get his high school transcripts.