Speech #990187560

President. Naum and Inna Meiman have suffered for long enough. The Meimans are Soviet Jews who have applied to emigrate to Israel and have been refused for over 10 years. Naum is a founding member. along with Natan Shcharansky. of the Helsinki Watch Group which monitored human rights violations in the Soviet Union. Inna is critically ill with cancer and must travel to the West in order to save her life. Medical authorities in the Soviet Union have told her there is nothing more they can do for her. while Western doctors have offered new technology to treat her cancer. As we celebrate the presence of Natan Shcharansky in the United States. we cannot let our voices be stilled for those who continue to struggle. I strongly urge the Soviets to grant permission to Inna and Naum Meiman to emigrate to Israel.*