Speech #990202587

Mr. President. I urge that we take the time today to remember the plight of Soviet Jews. particularly the tragedy which besets the over 380.000 refuseniks who have been refused permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union. In doing so. we must bear in mind the critical section of the Helsinki accords. "basket 3." which deals with human contacts. This provision stipulates that signatories are obligated to expedite the handling in a positive and humanitarian manner of applications for reunion of families. The Soviet Union has systematically violated this principle by refusing thousands of legitimate emigration requests by Soviet Jews. Notwithstanding the recent release of Anatoly Shcharansky and over two hundred other refuseniks. freedom is the exception rather than the rule for Soviets who wish to emigrate. The rule typically involves loss of employment. social ostracism. constant surveillance and harassment. and. all too often. imprisonment for trumpedup offenses such as parasitisma result of having lost ones job. All of this for asking to leave a country where ones religious heritage is a liability. and pride in that heritage a crime. The tragic example of Moisei and Eugenia Shukhgalter illustrates the nature of Soviet inhumanity. Eugenia witnessed the extermination of her family during World War II and was exiled to Siberia under Stalin. Years later. with their son Alexander working as a patent lawyer. the two decided to emigrate. As so often happens. Alexander was promptly fired. jarring the family into financial crisis. He now faces possible imprisonment for parasitism. The Shukhgalters anxiousness to emigrate heightened when Eugenia developed senile macular degeneration. a potentially blinding condition which afflicts the elderly. Laser treatment to prevent further deterioration of the eyes is available only in the United States. where Moiseis cousin works as a doctor in Massachusetts. Eugenias sister lives in Israel. so Soviet authorities can make no claim of an insufficient family tie in the outside world. Moreover. neither Moisei nor Eugenia ever worked in industries which involved State secrets. another convenient fiction created by Moscow to refuse emigration. In short. there exists no valid reason for the Soviets to impede the Shukhgalters plans. This is only one among thousands of similar cases.