This policy emboldened the Arabs. making them less serious about negotiating peace with Israel. And by linking the loan guarantees to Israeli behavior on settlements. the President created an issue for the peace talks that the Arabs themselves had not raised. For years the United States fought for the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate. We put our prestige and our trade benefits on the line for that policy. JacksonVanik was known by all. We said that if you do not let those people go. there is no way you are going to do business with us. For years. there was not a high level meeting between the United States and the Soviet Union that took place in which the issues of unfettered emigration was not raised. There was not a Soviet Government official who did not know that mostfavorednation [MFN] trading status was inextricably linked to free emigration of Soviet citizens. Now. we have won the battle on free emigration. At the same time. we have limited the numbers of Soviet refugees who can come to the United States. leaving Israel as the only safe haven. The administration was wrong to link Soviet Jews and their resettlement to unrelated issues. I am pleased that President Bush finally saw his way clear to providing loan guarantees for Israel. Although it was long overdue. it is welcome news. I hope we will move quickly to provide loan guarantees without any conditions when Congress reconvenes in September. While our President has come around on this basic and important issue. friends of Israel cannot forget the long months when he opposed desperately needed humanitarian relief for Soviet refugees and our close. strategic ally Israel. We cannot forget the damage done to our alliance with Israel or the contemptuous manner in which the administration treated American citizens supporting the loan guarantees. The President was insensitive.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration refugees