Speech #980059936

Shcharanskys wife. Avital. who managed to leave the U.S.S.R.. has repeatedly sought to obtain his freedom. Numerous news articles and editorials have pleaded on his behalf for the right to emigrate. Throughout the world. Jews and gentiles continue to rally to Anatoly and Avitals cause. and Anatoly Shcharansky has become a living symbol for Soviet Jewry. At last count. over 300.000 Soviet Jews have requested permission to emigrate. The Russian Government responds to such requests by removing applicants from their jobs. separating families. and. as in Shcharanskys case. sendng individuals to work camps and prison. In addition. the Soviets set up an official antiZionist committee. One of the organizations first statements equated Zionism with Hitlerism. They also claimed that most Jews who wanted to leave the Soviet Union have already done so. despite all evidence to the contrary. Only 421 Jews emigrated from the U.S.S.R. so far this year. The State Department denounced the outlandish claims of the Soviet antiZionists. Such blatantly oppressive treatment of a religious group runs counter to our support for human rights.