Speech #920206668

It is. in a way. an historic lifting of the Iron Curtain. Nobody knows quite why it is taking place. but it is taking place. and we want to be sure that in a reasonable and not in a provocative way we maintain the pressure to keep this flow coming from the Soviet Union. and toward improving conditions for those who remain. I would also like to touch upon a phase of the problem that some of the other Members have mentioned. and that is that this resolution should be followed soon by action of the Congress to make some provision toward assisting the State of Israel in absorbing this large number of refugees. I had the honor recently of being on an official mission from the Committee on Foreign Affairs. along with the able gentleman from New York. during which we visited the staging area. the refugee center in Vienna. where the Jewish refugees come in from the Soviet Union. and then went on to Israel to inspect at firsthand the problems involved in this resettlement effort there. There are gigantic problems. The expenditures that the Israelis are making. the sacrifices they are making to accommodate these people. are a perfectly extraordinary and inspiring thing to witness. But they cannot do it alone. The American Jewish community on a private basis is generously responding to the need. but I believe it would be also in the interest of the United States and incumbent upon us from a moral and practical viewpoint that the Government of the United States assist also in aiding Israel to carry this very great burden of providing homes. apartments. jobs. language training. and all the rest of the things needed by these refugees from the Soviet Union. I want to make one other point about them. and that is that they are not. as has sometimes been described. primarily older people. the infirm. or children. On the contrary. these refugees come from all walks of life. they are of different ages and from different backgrounds. Many of them have valuable skills which makes it all the more remarkable that they are being allowed to leave the Soviet Union. I hope the resolution before us will be adopted overwhelmingly.