Speech #970110073

Yesterday I introduced two resolutions. one which calls for the President to voice the opinion of this body. as well as the country. that the religious discrimination of Soviet Jewry be ended. and the second calls for the release of one particular individual who is being persecuted. Yuli Kosharovsky. House Concurrent Resolution 219 calls upon the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to end the current policies of Jewish emigration descrimination and antiSemitism. This resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. House Resolution 269 calls upon the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to permit the emigration of Yuli Kosharovsky and his immediate family to Israel. This legislation has also been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. I am submitting the language of both of these bills to the House of Representatives and include them in H. CON. REs. 219 Whereas. the government of the U.S.S.R. has decreased Jewish emigration significantly and nearly completely. and continues to maintain this form of discrimination based upon religion. Whereas. under the current policy. the government of the U.S.S.R. has reduced the number of Jews allowed to emigrate from a high or 4.746 in October 1979. to the present figure of 368 in October 1981. the lowest amount since emigration began. Whereas. 260.000 Jews have been allowed to emigrate in the last twelve years. over one half million Jews have filed for emigration in the same time period. Whereas. the government of the U.S.S.R. is implementing a policy of exiling Hebrew teachers. banning Jewish education programs. and confiscating books. as well as sacred and religious articles. Whereas. the press of the U.S.S.R. is implementing a policy of disseminating antiSemitic propaganda to the peoples of the U.S.S.R.. which is designed to hinder Jewish heritage and terminate traditional religious practices. Whereas. within the past four months. more arrests of Soviet Jews have taken place than in the last four years. underscoring the policy of increasing discrimination. as well as the declining emigration figures. in the U.S.S.R.: Now. therefore. be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring). That it is the sense of the Congress that the policies of Jewish emigration discrimination and antiSemitism are morally reprehensible. and that the President. at every opportunity and in the strongest terms. should express to the Government of the U.S.S.R. the opposition of the United States to these reprehensible policies. and that the restrictions on the emigration of Soviet Jews be removed.