Speech #980169176

He has been harassed and persecuted and he has gone on a hunger strike for freedom. In 1975 I had the occasion to meet Anatoly Shcharansky in Moscow. We spoke of the conditions under which he lived. of his desire to emigrate. and of what actions on the part of the United States would be helpful to the cause of Soviet Jewry. I have met with my counterparts in the Supreme Soviet. interceded in Geneva on behalf of prisoners of conscience. greeted the refugees as they await transport to their final destination in a transit center for Soviet Jews in Austria. I have also witnessed the arrival of Soviet Jews at Lod Airport in Tel Aviv for resettlement in Israel. You can imagine the joy in their faces as they disembark in a Jewish homelanda place to seek refuge from persecution and finally to be allowed to pursue their lives in a course of their own choosing. What can we do? Fluctuations in Soviet Jewish emigration depend on Soviet relations with the United States at the time and on world pressures. During periods of detente. many Jews emigrated. We all know that the numbers are decliningfrom a high of 51.320 in 1979. during detente. to a low of 1.314 last yearand there is no relief in sight this year. With the invasion of Afghanistan. the Olympic boycott. and the grain embargo. emigration has plummeted to new lows. The Soviet Union uses Jews as pawns. So. we must create an atmosphere in which it behooves the Soviet Union to loosen up their repressive policies. and open up their doors closed to emigration. We must have greater contacts with Soviet officials at all levels of governmentrenewed communication on issues will increase opportunity to raise matters of human rights and emigration. Tying negotiations for grain and technology to increased emigration is another avenue to explore. Continued efforts such as this special order to publicize and emphasize the situation in the Soviet Union. continued contact with the prisoners of conscience to keep their hope alive during their struggle. continued and renewed efforts are necessary to prompt the Soviet Union to uphold the letter and the spirit of the Helsinki accords and other international human rights agreements that they have endorsed.o