Speech #980084474

Dragunsky. and the official spokesperson. Samuil I. Zivs. have made statements concerning the small number of Jewish emigrations from the Soviet Union during the past several years. Jewish emigration has dropped from a high of 51.320 in 1979. to only 2.600 last year. Both Mr. Zivs and General Dragunsky attribute this reduction to the lack of desire for emigration among the Soviet Unions 1.8 million Jews. The AntiZionist Committee maintains this is due to the fact that all Jews who wish to leave the Soviet Union. have already done so. The family reunification which has slowly been taking place since the Second World War is effectively concluded. according to the Soviets. This is simply not the case. As late as 1979. 300.000 Jews in the Soviet Union applied for emigration to the West and Israel. even though such applications frequently result in harassment and further persecution. The great majority of these hopeful emigrants are still within the Soviet Union. The ostensible reason given by the Soviets for the refusal of these many emigration pleas is the lack of sponsors for the prospective emigrants. Yet there are literally thousands of sponsorship letters sent to the Soviet Union on behalf of hopeful sponsors each year. Consequently. any lack of sponsors for Soviet Jews desirous of emigration. is directly the result of the Soviet Government policy which withholds the mail of Jews who are possible emigrants. Such a catch 22 is what we have come to expect from the Soviet Union regarding Jewish emigration. This withholding of mail. particularly invitations to immigrate to the United States and Israel. is one more example of the denial of human rights experienced by Soviet Jews and other minorities within the Soviet Union. This continued violation of human rights cannot be ignored. Every conceivable effort should be made on behalf of the Jews and other Soviet individuals who wish to emigrate. The leadership of the Soviet Union must be brought to realize that there are rights and freedoms which exist for all citizens of this Earth. and that these rights and freedoms may not be denied to any man. woman. or child. I implore the Soviet Union to allow its citizens to receive all their mail. Further. I hope and pray that the Soviet leadership will permit those who wish to emigrate the basic human right to choose the nation in which they wish to dwell.*