Speech #930263216

Speaker. I am deeply grieved today as a result of Soviet preparations for President Nixons visit to the Soviet Union. These preparations. coupled with a severe regression in Soviet emigration policies over the past few months. can only be construed as a return to the repugnant and oppressive practices that many people had hoped were passing. Two weeks ago. on Monday. June 10. 1974. I noted in an address I gave in New York that "both the Kremlin and the Nixon administration are demonstrating that they prefer free trade between the United States and the U.S.S.R. to the free emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union." I made that assertion in the face of continued administration hostility to congressional efforts to link mostfavorednation treatment for the Soviet Union with the issue of Soviet emigration policies. Since 1973. Soviet Jewish emigration has steadily declined. From a peak of about 3.000 each month emigrating to Israel last year. the number declined to 1.720 in March of this year. 1.600 in April. and 1.226 in May. Despite this sharp cutback. the administration remains firm in its opposition to the JacksonVanik amendment. encouraging the Soviets to use declining emigration as a lever against this amendment. It now appears that. from reports of Mr. Kissingers own statements to some Senators last week. the administration may be willing to settle solely on a guarantee that the Soviets would allow 45.000 Jews to emigrate annually. This does not represent a satisfactory solution to the emigration problem. A 45.000 person annual quota would be inadequate because there is already a backlog of some 135.000 persons now waiting to leave the country for Israel. Firm pledges to end harassment of those who wish to leave the promises of relief for those serving prison terms on false and trumped up charges must be obtained. Any straight quota system would also leave the option open for continued repression of selected groups and individuals who most desperately want or need to leave. In other words. to discuss numbers is irrelevant and misses the point. What is at issue is the harassment and persecution of Soviet Jews. Indeed. it is this repressive treatment that has partially spurred the rush to emigrate. Now. in the past week. we read reports from Russia of seizures of Jews whose only crime has been to apply for exit visas. These indiscriminate searches. seizures. and interrogations are allegedly part of the preparations being made for Mr. Nixons visit.