AntiSemitic news articles. television programs. and books. all Governmentsanctioned. are not uncommon. It has become more difficult for Jews to be accepted to universities and scientific institutes. and are. instead. the target of the military draft. Without applying to emigrate and without involvement in Jewish cultural activities. life for Jews in the Soviet Union is very bleak. As life becomes more unbearable for Jews. the hope to seek a better life elsewhere has also been dealt a severe blow. The low figure of 9.447 Jews who emigrated from the Soviet Union in 1981 is less than onefifth of the number of Jews permitted to leave the Soviet Union in 1979. This year. even fewer people were permitted to leave than in previous months. The crackdown on Jewish emigration and on the Jewish cultural activities of Jews in general is alarming. The arrest of the distinguished Dr. Victor Brailovsky in 1980 after the opening of the Madrid review conference on the Helsinki agreement. the arrests and sentencing of Vladimir Kislik and others are part of a crackdown on Jews who dare to conduct scientific of cultural seminars. The silencing of citizens whose human rights are violated has a very strong echo. one that is too loud to ignore. It is essential that we in Congress increase the pressure to improve the situation of Soviet Jews. and intensify our efforts to persuade the Soviets to allow those who wish to emigrate to do so. If the present treatment of Jewish citizens continues. the number of Jews wishing to emigrate will increase. and the noise will become louder still. It is thus absolutely necessary that we continue to do all we can to seek improvement. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. and the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe at Helsinki. as well as the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. express well the right to freedom of thought. religion. and emigration. It is time that those who profess these commitments begin also to adhere to them. I will continue to do all I can to help make this possible.9
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emigrate emigration emigrated