Mr. Speaker. on September 19. the Supreme Soviet will meet to ratify a decision to place a tax on Jews wishing to leave the Soviet Union. This tax ranges from $5.000 to $37.000. depending on the prospective emigrants level of education. Since the average yearly income of a worker in the Soviet Union is $1.836. this ransom. in effect. denies the Soviet Jew the right to emigrate to a country of his choosing. A Soviet Jew with a high school degree would have to save 100 percent of his earnings for nearly 3 years before he could buy his way out of slavery. Mr. Speaker. clearly the tax wholly precludes any type of emigration for most of those Soviet Jews with a high school education or above. While a few Russian Jews could possibly amass this relative fortune. the Jewish leadership in the Soviet Union has taken the position that under no circumstances should the ransom be paid. In their view. the Soviet appetite is unlimited. and if ransom is paid. it will only encourage further taxes.
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emigrate emigration emigrants