I suppose the Soviet authorities might feel that if this precedent were established and Jews are allowed to leave because they were Jews. others might well feel the same impulse to leave and would use other excuses as they see them. You say this is not really a religious thing. it is a racial thing. There are lots of races in the Soviet Union. Presumably there might be other pressures to immigrate to get away from an oppressive regime. I suppose that is one of the reasons why they are reluctant to make the decision which I assume we all hope they will and that is to lift the barriers which still exist.
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