Nevertheless. they have not done so in the past 15 years. and it is hard to believe that Andropovs ascension to power will make the essential difference. The more realistic opportunity is that the change of leadership in the Soviet Union might lead to a thaw in U.S.-USSR relations. Jews are let out of the Soviet Union for the same reason that Jewish dissidents have been permitted to exist there: Soviet leaders believe that the safety of Soviet Jews and their right to emigrate are demanded by an American Jewish community influential enough to make the subject important to American governmental leaders. Jews have been permitted to leave. there. fore. in order to induce better relations with the United States or in order to reward better relations with the United States. At this moment. and for the past twoandahalf years. EastWest relations have been so bad that there has been nothing to reward. And in light of the other very difficult items on the SovietAmerican agenda. there is nothing to induce. The Soviets are not likely to believe that if emigration levels are raised. the United States will bend on such critical issues as Poland the arms race and Afghanistan. In other words. the immediate fate of Soviet Jews is tied to the relationships be. tween the two superpowers. For that reason. the most pertinent questions we must ask ourselves are questions like will Andropov seek a period of calmer relations with the United States in order to enable him to concentrate on curing a very ailing Soviet economy?
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emigrate emigration