Mr. Speaker. thousands of Soviet Jews must daily face the tyranny and oppression under Communist rule. and the persecution of Jews seeking to leave the country has been severe. Emigration from the Soviet Union has dropped off during the last 10 years from a high point of 51.320 in 1979 to 1.314 in 1983. At the present rate. emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union in 1984. is predicted to fall below 1.000. and at this point in the RECORD. I would like to share with my colleagues a listing of Soviet Jewry emigration from 1965 to 1983 which demonstrates that the Communists have truly shut the gates. The figures follow: Jewish emigration from the U.S.S.R. 1965June 1967 ....................................... 4.498 Oct. 19681970 ........................................ 4.235 1971 .......................................................... 13.022 1972 .......................................................... 31.681 1973 .......................................................... 34.733 1974 .......................................................... 20.628 1975 .......................................................... 13.221 1976 .......................................................... 14.261 1977 .......................................................... 16.736 1978 .......................................................... 28.864 1979 .......................................................... 51.320 1980 .......................................................... 21.471 1981 .......................................................... 9.447 1982 .......................................................... 2.688 1983 .......................................................... 1.314 We in Congress must do everything in our power to pressure the Soviets to allow Jews to practice their religion and to emigrate from the Soviet Union without the fear of reprisal. We must protest the Communists reprehensible conduct in the strongest possible terms. and we must make it clear that their actions violate international obligations. which that country has agreed to abide by as a signator of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. and the Helsinki Final Act. Let us continue to urge that Soviet Jews who wish to practice their religion and emigrate to Israel be allowed to do so. and let us make our position known to the Soviet Union at every possible opportunity. with the goal that human rights violations against Jews cease.*
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