Speech #980166495

Speaker. this is in very many ways a sad day. to think upon the suffering. the frustrations. and anxieties of the thousands of Jews in the Soviet Union who cannot get out of the country. And yet. today we are aLso recognizing the kind of strength of spirit that compels individuals to take great risks to fight for their freedom. This is the eighth anniversary of the imprisonment of Anatoly Shcharansky and his ordeal is an example of the tenacity. commitment. and perseverance of the individuals who have applied for emigration. knowing full well the risks. the certain hardship. and the very slimincreasingly slim--chance of being successful. In 1983. only 1.314 Jewsless than half the 1982 figurewere allowed to emigrate from the Soviet Unionthis compared to 51.320 just 4 years earlier. So far this year. 178 have emigrated. This dwindling emigration has been coupled with increased Government repression of Soviet Jews. During the past year the Soviets employed a number of tactics designed to reinforce the Soviet Governments terrible and worsening record on Jewish emigration. An antiZionist committee was set up. undoubtedly to scare Soviet Jews from making emigration applications and to increase the pressure on refuseniks. The Soviet Government. in its official pressIsvestia and Sovietskaya Kulturawarmly reviewed a blatantly antiSemitic book last year. calling it "interesting and convincing" and indicating it would be of "great interest" to the Soviet public. In addition. numerous articles have appeared claiming that Jewish emigrees lead a desolate life in Israel and the West. and that many wouldbe emigrants have changed their minds and remained in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Government is engaged in a campaign to wage a propaganda war against Zionists and to discourage Jews from applying to emigrate. The Government continues in its various forms of repression. occupation. and geographic restrictions of Jews. and persistent attempts to "denationalize" Jewish culture. Those who defy the Governments arbitrary policies continue. as best they can. to educate their children in the Jewish culture and to practice their Jewish faith. There are now an estimated 20.000 applications pending of Jews wanting to emigrate. I call upon the Soviet Union to allow these people to emigrate. This would be very favorably received by the world as a concrete demonstration of the Soviet Governments willingness to change its policy on this issue. Such a move would also lay the groundwork for progress on improved United StatesSoviet relations in other. critically important areas.