Speech #1000068300

Now more than ever. it is of paramount importance that we show our support for the granting of human rights in that oppressed nation. Pamela Cohen. the national president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews aptly proclaimed. "the rescue of Soviet Jews is by no means exclusively or even primarily an IsraeliSoviet matter. The United States direct involvement with the U.S.S.R. is the Soviet Jews primary safety net. and must never be undermined." Nearly 400.000 Jews are waiting to be granted emigration visas and there are approximately 11.000 refuseniks among them. The policy of glasnostopennessis an empty word. as ambiguity surrounds the criteria for exiting the Soviet Union. As a matter of fact. 1986 saw a total of 914 emigrees. the second lowest in 15 years. Furthermore. Soviet law permits only Jews with immediate family in Israel to emigrate there. This law only applies to 10 percent of the 400.000 wishing to leave. All these injustices culimate into the shattering of the myth glasnost.