Mr. Speaker. for the past several months world attention has been focused on the plight of Soviet Jews desiring to emigrate to Israel. A Moscowdirected antiZionist campaign in 1970 has led an estimated half a million Jews to seek permission to leave the Soviet Union. The fierceness of their desire has given rise to unprecedented acts of desperation among their numbers. Sitins at government office buildings. public demonstrations in defiance of Soviet police. and confrontations with Central Commission officials mark their efforts to obtain freedom from religious persecution. harassment. and repression. In recent weeks Soviet authorities have permitted an increasing number of Jews to emigrate to Israel. The reasons for that governments permissive action is open to speculation. however. some sources believe that it is intended to curtail demonstrations by Jews during the weeks that Western Communist Party leaders will meet in Moscow for the 24th Communist Party Congress on March 30. If that is the case. then we may be sure of two thingsthat the Soviet Union is sensitive to world opinion. even among its Communist allies. and that the recent civil treatment of Jews is only temporaryto last only until such time as the glare of adverse publicity is subdued. Mr. Speaker. the American people must be made aware that in coming months many of the thousands denied passports to emigrate. and many thousands more who have been identified among the demonstrators may well find themselves victims of retaliatory acts by the KGB or government officials. To forestall further suffering by Jews in the Soviet Union. the United States as a world leader must ensure that world attention remain focused on the plight of our religious brothers. Further.
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emigrate