Speech #530132407

Soviet Jews who attempt to teach Hebrew. the language of their forefathers. are harassed. arrested. and threatened. Those who persist in teaching Jewish religious philosophy and cultural lore may lose their jobs and income and face internal exile. Applicants for emigration to Israel. the homeland that has meant freedom for oppressed Jews around the world. are guaranteed years of harassment because of their desire to leave the Soviet Union. Often their requests for an exit visa are lost in a tangle of bureaucratic redtape designed to block the visa application without ever formally denying it. Trumped up charges dog a dissident and applicant for the rest of his or her life. Normally. the granting of visas and passports is a matter of internal concern and foreign governments do not meddle in these matters. Soviet policy. however. is of immense interest to the international community because the Soviet Union is a signatory to three international treaties guaranteeing the civil and human rights of their people. We in the West have the right and responsibility to ensure that these agreements are adhered to completely by all signatories. In the past. the Soviet Union has permitted as many as 51.000 Soviet Jews to emigrate to the West each year. Beginning in 1980. however. the number began to decline. and now only a select few are permitted to leave. Congress has repeatedly and continually conveyed to the Soviet Government our deep concern about the plight of Soviet Jews. including those who seek to emigrate. those who would emigrate were it not for officially sanctioned recrimination. and those who would remain in the Soviet Union but want to observe freely their religious and cultural practices. Moreover. we have continually expressed our belief that international treaties signed by the Soviet Union should be adhered to completely. This matter was raised during the recent meeting of the Helsinki Conference in Madrid. where the plight of Soviet Jews was discussed with the Soviets.