Mr. Speaker. I regret that in the past few weeks this body has been all too quiet on a topic which once concerned us greatly. that is. the problem of Jews in the Soviet Union who are trying to emigrate to Israel. Things have been quiet all over in this respect and I cannot understand why. We are no closer to having free emigration from that prison state now than we were 6 months ago. and we certainly cannot afford to become silent and complacent on this question. Last week. there was a new incident in Russia which went largely unnoticed in the United States. Naum Alshansky. age 56. had been a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet army before he retired from service. He had served with distinction and had been awarded numerous decorations. After he retired. however. he decided he wanted to leave Russia and go to live in Israel. He applied for permission to emigrate in August 1971. and 6 months later he was stripped of his rank and pension. In protest last week. he renounced his Soviet citizenship and turned in his medals to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. This was an act of supreme bravery.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration