Speech #960113099

I know that I speak for my colleagues on the committee in expressing our appreciation for the leadership Mr. SOLARZ has provided on this matter and for the demonstrable efforts he has made both here and in Damascus. Syria. over the last several years to try to improve conditions for the small Jewish community in that country and enable them to emigrate if they so desire. After some loosening of restrictions on the SyrianJewish community in 1976 and 1977 and letting a few women emigrate. the Syrian Government has more recently made it more difficult for Jews to emigrate. even though travel restrictions. despite high bonds which must be posted. have been relaxed and other restrictions have been modified. I regret that the applications of some 51 Jewish women to leave Syria have been pending for some time. many for more than 1 year. Although some 500 Syrian Jews have escaped during the last several months illegally. we cannot be satisfied with results from our discussions with the Syrians on this issue recently.