Speech #990005124

Today we are talking about the dangerous trends occurring in the Soviet Governments treatment of Jewish citizens. The situation has never been more bleak. Last year only 896 Jews were allowed to emigrate. this sharply contrasts with 1979 when over 50.000 Jews were allowed to emigrate. There are thousands of Jewish families who want to emigrate. and have either been refused permission. or are waiting to hear from the visa office about their request. Most often. they receive refusals for their requests to emigrate. Lately I have become increasingly concerned by the reports of governmentsponsored antiSemitism in the Soviet Union. A recent example of the Soviet antiSemitic campaign is a documentary. titled "Hirelings and Accomplices." which aired on Leningrad television last November. This 27minute film portrayed the desires of Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel as antiSoviet behavior. It also implicated members of the Jewish community as participants in a Zionist conspiracy operating in cooperation with the CIA. Unfortunately. this film. which was smuggled out of the U.S.S.R.. is only one small sample of the harassment and persecution facing the Jewish community in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union has committed itself. by signing international treaties. to allow its citizens the freedom of emigration and freedom of religion. Yet time after time we see that they violate these international agreements. Most recently I have become very concerned about the treatment of Evgeny Lein. a Soviet Jew living in Leningrad.