Speech #980000777

Mr. President. as one who has long been concerned about the tragic plight of Soviet Jews. I direct the attention of my colleagues to the distressingly low number of Jews being granted their right to emigrate from the Soviet Union. In 1982. less than 2.700 Jews were allowed to leave the Soviet Union. Emigration levels have not been this dismal since the early 1960s. The sharp downturn of Jewish emigration. from a high point of 51.320 in 1979. is extremely disheartening. The Soviet Union pledged to respect human rights. including the right of citizens to emigrate freely. when it signed the Helsinki Final Act. Yet. the Soviet Government continues its harassment of Jews who express a desire to emigrate and its obstruction of their freedom to practice their religion and to maintain their culture. Looking at the volatile United StatesSoviet relationship over the past two decades. it is clear that the level of Jewish emigration has served as a barometer of the state of United StatesSoviet relations. When detente was at its height. Jewish emigration rose. When we entered a period of strained relations with Moscow. Jewish emigration plummeted. It is a sad fact that Soviet Jews are held hostage by the U.S.S.R. in the game of international politics. More than ever.