In our desire to quell these conflicts. however. we must not forget our moral obligation to speak out against serious human rights abuses aimed at the Jewish population inside the Soviet Union. The widespread oppression of human rights in the Soviet Union has reached disastrous levels. The condition of Jews wishing to emigrate has deteriorated to such a point that the time has come to renew our appeal on their behalf. From a high of 51.320 in 1979. the number of Soviet Jews issued exit visas has dropped at a very alarming rate to a mere 1.314 in 1983. Numbers for the first 2 months of 1984 are not very encouraging eithera scant 178 through February. Still. more than 300.000 Jews wait their turn for an exit visa. hoping and praying for an end to the oppression and antiSemitism they have endured and a new life of freedom and liberty in a new world. Blatant attacks on the Jewish population and their beliefs increased markedly after Yuriy Andropov became Secretary General and continue now that Konstantin Chernenko has assumed his post. Although numerous examples of this repression exist. a look at two cases is enough to remind us of the Soviet Jews plight and our obligationas free peopleto speak out against such behavior.
Keywords matched
emigrate visas visa