Speech #960186525

The Soviets refuse to provide any reason for his detention. Here is another glaring example of the denial of human and legal rights. in direct violation of the Helsinki accord. In 1979. a total of 51.000 Jews emigrated from the Soviet Union. Even though this represents a record number. there are indications that Russia is stepping up her efforts to hinder emigration. In order to apply for emigration. one must have an affidavit of invitation from the sponsor country. Recently the Soviet Government stipulated that one must not only have the invitation. but it must come from a 1st degree relative. that is. father. mother. sister. brother. son. or daughter. Initial indications are that the number of emigrants reaching Vienna will be substantially lower this January than in the previous year. due to this regulation. In addition. the number of "refusenik" families has more than tripled over the past year. from 800 to 2.700. These families are harassed and threatened repeatedly for their efforts to emigrate. again. in direct violation of the Helsinki accord. At the start of this new decade. the future of Soviet Jewry is increasingly precarious. With Russias invasion of Afganistan. and our subsequent embargo of grain sales. the United States has lost much of its leverage to press for free emigration and the immediate release of Prisoners of Conscience. However. this does not imply that we should halt our efforts. While traveling in Israel this month. I had the opportunity to meet with a number of Soviet immigrants. They repeatedly stressed the importance of pressure from the United States and increased publicity of the gross behavior by the Soviet Union in dealing with Jewish emmigration. They felt that this had been the most effective means of opening up emigration. While reassessing our relations with the U.S.S.R.. we must address these issues. human rights and an equitable emigration system in the Soviet Union. In addition. we should call upon the other nations of Western Europe who signed the Helsinki accord to help us in our efforts to enforce compliance by the Soviet Union.*