Reciprocity of communication between the peoples of the United States and the Soviet Union is indeed a proper area of senatorial concern. In a recent release. the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ) said that Soviet authorities under General Secretary Andropov adopted new forms for legitimizing their official policy against the Jewish minority. The Soviet policy includes four elements. according to the NCSJ: First. an end to emigration. second. intensification of forced cultural and linguistic assimilation. third. a broadening of the antiZionist propaganda campaign. drawing into it new antiSemitic elements. and fourth. the cutting off of Soviet Jews from relations with others abroad. Each of these elements is a blatant violation of the rights of Soviet Jews. Taken together. they constitute a policy that is intolerable and thoroughly unjust. One of the tactics used by the Soviets to force an end to emigration has been to declare. through their antiZionist Committee. "that family reunification has essentially been completed." We know that this statement is grossly untrue. and we must continue to fight for the right of Soviet Jews to join their families outside the country. Emigration is their right under international law. The situation for Soviet Jews today is bleak and desperate. While any improvement seems unlikely under the new Soviet leadership. we continue to hope for changes and to look for positive signs.
Keywords matched
family reunification emigration Emigration