Soviet propaganda has shif ted the blame to some innocuous worldwide conspiracy spearheaded by the expansionist State of Israel and the imperialistic nations in the free world. This is most absurd. The only concrete problem in this matter is the desire of a group of people to realize selfdetermination. to acquire the choice of living either in the Soviet Union free from prejudice and discrimination orto have the opportunity to emigrate to Israel. It is estimated that at least 50 percent of the Jews now living in the Soviet Union would emigrate to Israel if the opportunity would arise. The granting of this license to emigrate. it would seem to me. would represent a major propaganda victory for the Soviet system. It would show to the world that Soviet justice and humanitarianism can at times be more than the empty words we so often read about in Pravda and Izvestia. The failure to grant this license indicates that something deeper than what appears on the surface has assisted in formulating Soviet policy. I would strongly suggest that some direct or indirect agreement has been made between the Soviet Union and a number of Arab States stipulating that Jewish emigration to Israel be kept at a bare minimum. Although certainly no agreement has been made public. it is quite likely that one exists. Israel is one of the few countries in the world that is actively encouraging people to emigrate to her land. This is to be understood. since population and military manpower is perhaps the only area where Israels Arab neighbors can claim an advantage. It must be considered. at least in a military sense. a triumph of enormous magnitude that a people numbering less than 3 million has been able to withstand a force of more than 100 million people for such a long period of time.
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emigrate emigration