What the administration does not understand is that the mere threat of withholding the guarantee has an adverse effect on the peace process by linking a pure humanitarian effort with a strategy for reconciliation between several adversaries. I take exception to the statement by the Secretary of State and the President that the settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are an Impediment to peace in the Middle East. For one. the number of refugees that have settled In these areas is very small. Labeling these settlements as a hindrance to the peace process Is a feeble attempt to lay blame on an ally who is dedicated to tranquility In a region that has known war for centuries. In addition. by delaying the guarantee. the administration continues to ignore the responsibilities this country has to the Jewish emigrees from the former Soviet Union. For decades. the United States. together with Israel. has been at the forefront of efforts to secure emigration for Jews who were unable to practice their religion in the Soviet Union. Now. after this struggle has borne fruit. should this Nation just turn our back on the thousands of Jewish emigrees? We must ensure that the Soviet Jews that have been granted freedom of passage to Israel be provided living conditions free from the instability and fear that had plagued their lives in the Soviet Union.
Keywords matched
emigration refugees