Speaker. nearly 20 years ago. I had the honor and privilege of voting for the JacksonVanik amendment. At the time. it was the pinnacle of congressional efforts to influence Soviet emigration policy. Over the years. there have been many who have derided this effort to condition trade benefits with certain emigration and other policies. But we could not. in good conscience. turn a blind eye to a policy that was immoral and repugnant. Simply put. JacksonVanik was the right thing to do. In the last couple of years. our hopes. our efforts. our hard work. has all been rewarded. I have personally witnessed the scenes at Ben Gurion Airport. as the thousands of Soviet Jewish immigrants descended from planes. All this captures. simply and eloquently. Israels raison detre. But our responsibility is not over. Our commitment has not been fulfilled. Some 400.000 Jewish immigrants have reached Israel in the past 2 years. Israel does not face a hypothetical absorption challenge. she faces a real genuine economic and social challenge. Another 1 million Soviet Jews hold immigration application forms. Those who remain in the former Soviet Union face an uncertain future. If history is any guide.
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emigration immigrants immigration