Speech #980166526

I received the very good news that Boris Dekhovich had joined members of his family in Israel. Mr. Dekovich is a Soviet Jew on whose behalf I had been writing to the Soviet Government for a number of years seeking permission for him to emigrate to Israel. In 1983. Mr. Dekovich was one of the very few fortunate Soviet Jews who received permission to emigrate. For most Soviet Jews. 1983 was a dark year in which they were refused the exercise of their right under the Helsinki accords to emigrate. their right to practice their religion freely. and their right to study their own history and culture. The MinnesotaDakotas Action Council for Soviet Jewry was kind enough to provide me information on another Soviet Jew who has been denied permission to emigrate. In February. 87 House Members joined me in signing an appeal to the Soviet Government on behalf of the Llvshits family. I very much hope that 1984 will be a year in which the Livshits family and thousands of other Soviet Jews will be permitted to exercise their fundamental right to emigrate. As Members of the U.S. Congress. we have a responsibility to speak out on behalf of oppressed peoples throughout the world. It is particularly appropriate on the eighth anniversary of the arrest of Anatoly Shcharansky that we speak out today against the oppression of the Jewish minority in the Soviet Union. that we raise our voices to decry the antiSemitism now rampant in the Soviet Union. with the official sanction of the Government. With the new leadership in the Soviet Union. there is some hope that officially sanctioned antiSemitism will abate. and that the number of emigration visas granted will rise. Such change would be most welcome and most commendable. I hope that Secretary Chernenko will foster such change.