As this is an election year. we find ourselves asking "Are we better off?" In this country. the answers might vary depending on our party alliances. But. if one forwarded this question to a Jew in the Soviet Union. the answer would be uniformly disturbing. The number of Soviet Jews that have been granted exit visas has dropped significantly over the last 4 years. We know that historically Soviet Jewry and emigration are tied to SovietAmerican relations. Statistics show that in 1979. when we were talking to the Soviets. and they were waiting on us to approve the SALT II treaty. the emigration of Soviet Jews was at an alltime high51.230 Soviet Jews emigrated during that year. Since 1979. as SovietAmerican relations have deteriorated. so has the level of emigration. The figures speak for themselves1980. 21.471. 1981. 9.447. 1982. 2.688. 1983. 1.314. The numbers for the first 4 months of 1984 are even more appalling.
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visas emigration emigrated