Speech #980215489

President. I would like to express my strong support for this years Congressional Prayer Vigil and Fast for Soviet Jewry. The vigil highlights the plight of nearly 500.000 Soviet Jews who have asked only to emigrate from the Soviet Union and who have had their requests denied. It is appropriate that this event take place on the 14th anniversary of the Leningrad trials. Since 1979. there has been a drastic decline in the number of Soviet Jews who have been allowed to emigrate. Today. emigration has slowed to a mere trickle. Only 300 Soviet Jews have been allowed to emigrate so far this year. during the last 5 years. Jewish emigration has declined by 98 percent. Refuseniks have also been subjected to antiSemitic sanctions including loss of jobs. denial of medical treatment. and restrictions on education. We have all been disturbed to see the deterioration in the condition of Andrei Sakharov. Emigration is a right guaranteed by International law. The Soviet Union is a signator of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. and the Helsinki agreement. We must insist that those agreements be enforced. We know that the Soviet Union has reponded to world opinion. The Leningrad trials of 1970 showed that international outcry could help the plight of Soviet Jews wishing to emigrate. I hope todays vigil and fast will help mobilize public opinion and draw attention to this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me today in support of Soviet Jews seeking their rights to emigrate.*