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RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION in the SOVIET UNION Part I-Soviet Jewry HEARING

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RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION in the SOVIET UNION Part I-Soviet Jewry HEARING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION INTHE SOVIET UNION Part I-Soviet Jewry HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEES ON EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST AND ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SEPTEMBER 11, 1985 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 54-536 0 WASHINGTON: 1985 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS DANTE B. FASCELL, Florida, Chairman LEE H. HAMILTON, Indiana WILLIAM S. BROOMFIELD, Michigan GUS YATRON, Pennsylvania BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, New York ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO, California DON BONKER, Washington JIM LEACH, Iowa GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts TOBY ROTH, Wisconsin DAN MICA, Florida OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine MICHAEL D. BARNES, Maryland HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois HOWARD WOLPE, Michigan GERALD B.H. SOLOMON, New York GEO. W. CROCKETT, JR., Michigan DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut MARK D. SILJANDER, Michigan MERVYN M. DYMALLY, California ED ZSCHAU, California TOM LANTOS, California ROBERT K. DORNAN, California PETER H. KOSTMAYER, Pennsylvania CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey CONNIE MACK, Florida LAWRENCE J. SMITH, Florida MICHAEL DEWINE, Ohio HOWARD L. BERMAN, California DAN BURTON, Indiana HARRY REID, Nevada JOHN McCAIN, Arizona MEL LEVINE, California EDWARD F. FEIGHAN, Ohio TED WEISS, New York GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York BUDDY MAcKAY, Florida MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona ROBERT GARCIA, New York JOHN J. BRADY, Jr., Chief of Staff ROXANNE PERUGINO, Staff Assistant SHIRLEY DAWSON, Staff Assistant SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST LEE H. HAMILTON, Indiana, Chairman TOM LANTOS, California BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey MARK D. SILJANDER, Michigan LAWRENCE J. SMITH, Florida ED ZSCHAU, California MEL LEVINE, California ROBERT K. DORNAN, California HARRY M. REID, Nevada CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey EDWARD F. FEIGHAN, Ohio GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York MICHAEL H. VAN DUsEN, Staff Director HILLEL WEINBERG, Minority Staff Consultant KENNETH B. Moss, Subcommittee Staff Consultant CHRISTOPHER A. Kojm, Subcommittee Staff Consultant SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS GUS YATRON, Pennsylvania, Chairman GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York GERALD B.H. SOLOMON, New York DON BONKER, Washington CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey TOM LANTOS, California MARK D. SILJANDER, Michigan EDWARD F. FEIGHAN, Ohio DAN BURTON, Indiana GEO. W. CROCKETT, JR., Michigan MARK J. TAVLARIDES, Subcommittee Staff Director DAVID LONIE, Minority Staff Consultant BERNADETTE PAOLW, Subcommittee Staff Consultant KERRY BOLOGNESE, Subcommittee Staff Consultant (II) CONTENTS WITNESSES Page Morris B. Abram, chairman, National Conference on Soviet Jewry.; ................... 12 Herbert Kronish, chairman, Coalition to Free Soviet Jews .................................... 30 Morey Schapira, president, Union of Councils for Soviet Jews ............................. 66 Isi Leibler, member, International Council of the World Conference on Soviet Jewry .......................................................................... 89 Lantos, founder and cochair of the Congressional Spouses Committee of 21 and founder of the International Free Wallenberg Committee ................ 100 Janet Waxman, member, Congressional Wives for Soviet Jewry and Congres- sional Spouses Committee of 21 ...................... 107 Leonid Feldman, former refusenik ............................................................ 108 Hon. Edward J. Derwinski, Counselor of the Department of State and former Member of Congress from the State of Illinois, accompanied by Susan Wagner, Soviet desk officer; and Ron Neitzke, special assistant, Department of State to Counselor Derwinski ............................................................ 111 MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Prepared statement of Hon. Michael H. Armacost, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, to the International Council of the World Conference on Soviet Jewry, September 11, 1985 ............................................................ 113 (III) RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN THE SOVIET UNION Part I-Soviet Jewry WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1985 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AF- FAIRS, SUBCOMMITTEES ON EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST AND ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL OR- GANIZATIONS, Washington, DC. The subcommittees met at 1:45 p.m., in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Gus Yatron (chairman of the Subcom- mittee on Human Rights and International Organizations) presid- ing. Mr. YATRON. The Subcommittee on Human Rights and Interna- tional Organizations and the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East meet today to review again the plight of Jews in the Soviet Union. This is the first of two hearings to be held on reli- gious persecution in the Soviet Union. We will examine current U.S. foreign policy, especially the Jackson-Vanik amendment, and explore new human rights initiatives to address the cruel treat- ment being leveled against Soviet Jews. I went to the Soviet Union in January along with my esteemed colleagues, Congressman Lantos and Congressman Gilman, who co- chaired the U.S. congressional group to the European Parliament. We met with refuseniks, as well as Soviet officials. The courage and dedication shown to us by these refuseniks is unparalleled. They remain loyal to their ideals, despite a repressive Soviet Government determined to destroy every vestige of Jewish culture and identity. After my experience in this Communist country, I am even more convinced that we must continue to speak out against this blatant disregard for fundamental human dignity. Since the state of detente between the United States and the Soviet Union, of which the Helsinki Accords were a product, we have seen a worsening of East-West relations. Cold war rhetoric and the absence of new arms control measures acceptable to both sides continues. With the upcoming summit meeting in November between Soviet leader Gorbachev and President Reagan, it is cru- cial that the United States make human rights a central issue. Before any other question can be discussed, whether political or economic, the highest law involving individual rights and freedoms must be addressed. (1) 2 When there is no response by a country to our quiet expressions of human rights concerns, and when there is no response to our speaking out, it is necessary to reevaluate all aspects of our rela- tionship. Section 402 of the 1974 Trade Act, the Jackson-Vanik amendment, attempted to qualify our economic relationship in these instances. This amendment barred countries which deny citi- zens the right to emigrate or impose high exit visa fees from access to U.S. Government export credits, or export credit or investment guarantees. In view of the dramatic decline in emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union, more than 51,000 Jews emigrated in 1979 and less than 1,000 emigrated in 1984, it is time for the United States to heighten its campaign against these policies. The subcommittees will review the Jackson-Vanik amendment and seek new informa- tion and ideas from our distinguished witnesses on combating the discrimination, repression, and harassment experienced by the Jewish community in the Soviet Union. Before we begin this hearing, I would like to ask members to limit their opening remarks. Congressman Derwinski will be testi- fying at 3:30, so we only have approximately 2 hours for members' opening remarks and the witnesses' statements. Members from the subcommittees will be called on first, followed by any member present from the full committee, and then other Members will be given an opportunity to speak. I ask your indul- gence in making this request, but it is necessary so we can hear from all of our many witnesses who are here today. The cochairman of these hearings, my distinguished colleague, Congressman Hamilton, is not here because of a scheduling con- flict. He is chairing a hearing of the Intelligence Committee, and he may appear during a later portion of our hearing. I would like at this time to call on the ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organi- zations, Congressman Gerald Solomon. Jerry, I believe you have an opening statement? Mr. SOLOMON. Yes, Mr. Chairman. And let me concur with all of your opening statement, and make my statement as brief as possi- ble. I also want to thank the witnesses for coming here today. I would, like to take the time to make just one quick observation here at the outset, because we have other members who would like to speak, and of course, there are many witnesses to testify before us today. But I do think that we should consider the nature and the origins of Soviet communism. The officially sanctioned persecu- tion of Jews and Christians alike in the Soviet Union today is the logical extension of an ideology that is based on an atheistic inter- pretation of life. Let's make no mistake about it: Karl Marx did not become an atheist after he developed his polit- ical and economic theories of communism. It is the other way around. Karl Marx's theories on the nature of man and society were derived from his atheism, and communism is rooted in Marx is hatred of Judaism and Christianity. Since 1917 the leaders of the Soviet Union, those who have claimed to be the heirs of Karl Marx, have engaged in a systematic campaign to obliterate all vestiges of religion and faith. 3 As a substitute for religious worship, the worship of God,
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