Speech #1000151733

DC. DEAR SIR: As is well known. Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union has. for many years. been an example of cynical and flagrant violations by the Soviet government of serious international commitments. The policy of glasnost and democratization has. in no way. changed the arbitrary lawless practices in which applications for emigration visas are processed. Even during the preparations for the summit meeting. our numerous attempts to take advantage of the new atmosphere in the country to establish a productive dialogue with the socalled Citizenship Commission of the Supreme Sovietwhich has been widely advertized as an appeal body for complicated refusalsproved to be unsuccessful. No one would listen to us. either In the Supreme Soviet or in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. and this once again confirmed the absence of any constructive approach on the part of the Soviet authorities to the problem of Jewish emigration from the USSR. During the preparations for the summit meeting. the Soviet leadership demonstrated and skillfully publicized certain signs of progress: emigration quotas were somewhat Increased. a number of wellknown longterm refuseniks were given permission to leave. and family reunification became possible for a broader circle of people. Americas firm stand on human rights issues. coupled with numerous assurances by Soviet official representativesIncluding those of the highest possible levelthat progress In nuclear disarmament and in trade would be accompanied by real progress In the field of emigration. as well as initial signs of such an improvement. gave birth to hopes that a successful summit would result in a tangible improvement in Soviet Jewish emigration. Now. when the summit is over. both sides agree that it was successful. because of the historical achievements in the field of disarmament. and even more impressive prospects for the future which are envisioned. As far as Jewish emigration Is concerned. no sooner had the ink dried on the treaty signed in Washington. than the indications of progress in this field began to disappear one after the other. As of January 1. 1988. Soviet visa offices have once again been demanding that invitations from firstdegree relatives be produced when submitting an application for an exit visa. This denies some ninety per cent of those Soviet Jews who would like to leave the possibility of doing so. Furthermore. the twenty applications for exit visas which were accepted for consideration without the necessary financial waivers during the summit. were an exception. For all other people with this problem. the obstacles still remain. The situation has returned to the way it was before. and this has aroused extreme concern among us. and has raised fears for the future of Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union. The attempts by Soviet officials at the highest levels to convince Western leaders that the flood of Jewish emigration has dried up. should be regarded as mere propaganda to cover up the reduction In Jewish emigration to which we have been witnesses. In this period of socalled glasnost and democratization. Soviet Jewry is deprived of any offices for their protection. and is being subjected to increasing pressure from neofascist and nationalist organizationsspecifically Pamyat (Memory) and Otechestvo (Fatherland). While the doors to the exodus remain closed. the attitude of the U.S. Congress to the problem of Soviet Jewish emigration has always been based on lofty principles of morality and human rights. We are deeply grateful for that. but wish you to be informed about the real state of affairs. Yours sincerely.