Speech #920223281

I strongly believe that certain provisions of this bill present a realistic as well as an enlighted perspective of American foreign policy goals. I have followed this bill closely because I know of its farreaching importance to the future course of U.S. policies abroad. One provision which I am most concerned with is the $85 million appropriation to the State Department. which administers refugee assistance programs abroad. for "assistance to Israel including assistance. for housing. clothes. food. medical care. education. and training. for the resettlement in Israel of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union." In February of this year. I introduced this legislation because in recent months there has been a surprising new development in Soviet policy. The motivations remain obsure. but the results are heartening and dramatica sudden increase in the number of Soviet Jews allowed to emigrate to Israel. In 1 month. December 1971. three times as many Jews emigrated from the Soviet Union as in all of Today more than 25.000 Soviet Jews live in Israel. They constitute the largest group of refugees from the U.S.S.R. since the end of World War II. Since January of this year. nearly 2.000 per month have left Russia and the increased rate is continuing in 1972. It is now anticipated that between 40.000 and 60.000 Soviet Jewish immigrants will arrive in Israel this year. Last month. my colleague. JONATHAN BINGHAM and I returned from a special study mission to Israel where we gathered important information for the House Foreign Affairs Committee which was considering the $85 million appropriation to aid Soviet refugees settling in Israel. Our mission to Israel convinced me that the dramatic increase of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union has placed an awesome financial burden on Israel. This tiny but brave nation is attempting to absorb the wave of thousands of refugees and provide food. clothing. shelter. job and language training to those who seek spiritual and cultural freedom. The cost. nearly $10.000 per refugee. has become astronomical and has caused a serious diversion of Israels economic resources from defense and other vitally needed services. This assistance is the least the American people can do to spur this encouraging breakthrough in Soviet Jewish policy and to carry out our historic humanitarian traditions. Because of our tradition of assisting refugeesparticularly those fleeing from religious persecutionsand because of our clear selfinterest in the health and wellbeing of Israel. it is incumbent upon us to aid in the resettlement of these homelessbut now freepeople who wish to start a new life in Israel. The only way this can be done is for Congress to authorize appropriate funds for this purpose. Since World War II. the United States. in keeping with our humanitarian policy. has contributed more than $2.8 billion to refugee assistance. directly and through intergovernmental organizations. We spent close to $600 million to assist Cuban refugees. From 1947 to 1951. we contributed $237 million to the International Refugee Organization. In the early 1950s we contributed almost $85 million to aid Korean refugees. As for Arab refugees. we have contributed more than $500 million. We have never forgotten that we were founded and populated by the refugees of an earlier world. Our commitment to this cause is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. There is also the long history of our concern with persecution on account of religion. and. in the last half century. particularly with the persecution of Jews.