EXTENSIONS of REMARKS 4715 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS IT IS TIME for ALARM in a 1989 Issue of the Monthly Nash Sov Tween Groups
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March 20, 1990 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 4715 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS IT IS TIME FOR ALARM In a 1989 issue of the monthly Nash Sov tween groups. Somebody calls it the contro remiennik, an official publication of the versy between Russians and Jews ... This Union of Soviet Writers, an article appears is a dispute with Zionism, the worst form of HON. CONSTANCE A MORELLA by the world-famous mathematician Igor world fascism .... Everybody who appears OF MARYLAND Shafarevich, which has become the mani like me risks his head. Like a Palestinian IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES festo of Russian Neo-Fascism. Shafarevich kid ... <Applause) I will support Builov, Tuesday, March 20, 1990 has for many years been a close friend of Al not because he is a writer, but because he is exander Solzhenitsin, and they shared the a Russian, and Russians need support now a Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I am increas views presented in the article "Russopho :i;nillion times more than Jews ..."<Stormy ingly concerned by the explosion of anti-Semi bia," a term devised and popularized by applause) tism now taking place in the Soviet Union. In Solzhenitsin. These were debates occurring among the spite of protests which we in Congress and in Shafarevich sees a "Small Nation," a eu national leadership of Russian writers. The the Bush administration have made to the phemism for the Jewish people, completely daily press contains many examples of how alienated from Russia, acting "out of hostil these ideas have permeated other Soviet or Kremlin, many Jewish groups continue to doc ity to the country's spiritual principles" and ument reliable reports of anti-Semitic demon ganizations, like the nationalistic and anti waging war on the "Big Nation," i.e. the semitic "Pamyat." strations and violence. I find particularly dis Russians. He argues that "the aim of the In the February 4, 1990 issue of the turbing those reports that indicate a growing 'Small Nation' is the final destruction of re weekly "Nyedyela" supplement to the gov anti-Semitism within Soviet intellectual circles. ligious and national foundations. The result ernment daily Izvyestia staff writer Boris I would like to bring to the attention of my will be a final catastrophe, after which Andreyev describes actions taken to help colleagues two recent articles which discuss probably nothing will remain of the Russian people." Russian refugees arriving in Moscow from the increasing acceptance and justification of Shafarevich's ideas have been embraced Azerbaijan. "On Saturday a meeting of vari anti-Semitism in Soviet publications. The warmly by Russian nationalists of all kinds, ous social-patriotic movements took place in second article, "Soviet Monarcho-Nazis and including well-known writers. From this Ostankino <a Moscow suburb) under the the Specter of Antisemitism," was written by circle the theory is advanced that "some slogan 'For the Rebirth of Russia.' They Vitalii Goldanskii, a member of the Council of kind of Russophobic Satan is preventing talked about the refugees from the Trans caucassas. Money was collected and address People's Deputies and of the foreign relations things from getting better" in Russia. "Rus sophobia" has become the "enemy of the es taken of those ready to share their committee of the Supreme Soviet. It appeared 'Pamyat' displayed signs such as: 'Clean in the Washington Post National Weekly Edi people" and the target of increasingly open, vitriolic anti-semitism. Russia from the Zionists.' 'Isn't it time to tion (Feb. 26-Mar. 4, 1990). This brand of nationalistic activity clean the motherland from the hydra?' The The first article was sent to me by my con reached a new peak of intensity during the anti-Semitic slogans were dense in the air. stituent, Stephen Sella. Mr. Sella's extraordi November 23-24, 1989 debates of the Board Although deputies from the Soviet Parlia nary background makes him uniquely qualified of the Writers Union of the Russian Repub ment and candidates to the Supreme Soviet to comment on the problem of anti-Semitism lic, held in Leningrad. The wildest anti-Se of the Russian Republic were present at the mitic remarks made by participants were re meeting, calling for reason and appealing to in Eastern Europe. Born in Poland, Mr. Sella conscience, the activity of the 'Pamyat' ac escaped advancing Nazi troops in 1939, flee ceived with applause and enthusiasm by the audience. On the other hand, isolated at tivists just increased the tension in the at ing to the Soviet Union. He joined the Soviet tempts to temper the trend did not enjoy mosphere." Army in 1943 to fight against the Nazis, rising any support from the audience. Here are Andreyev concludes: "Where will this bad to the rank of captain by the end of the war. some excerpts from the debate. air lead us, if we by ourselves wouldn't put Transferring to the Polish Army in 1946, he Anatoli Builov-"There are computers, an end to it? Is it possible that there would faced growing anti-Semitism in his native and viruses penetrate them. Let's look close be refugees from other regions? Is it possi country, and fled to Israel with his family in ly. A virus was planted into our system, and ble, we wouldn't understand that firing up the hatred between nationalities leads to vi 1957. He went on to serve in the Israeli it grew! The soil was fertile for it, and all went wrong ... The Jews were named here, olence and blood? Would our children for Armed Forces as a deputy armored brigade so let's talk about them! They are the only give us if we didn't stop this insanity? commander in both the Six-Day War and the nation interested in sowing discord among Would they be able to forget how their Yorn Kippur war. A true hero of the Jewish us ... mothers escaped from their homes in fear?" people, Mr. Sella correctly addresses the dire "On August 10th a new item appeared in This is how the official newspaper of the ness of the crisis in the Soviet Union not only Pravda reporting that a Zionist Committee Soviet Government views the situation in in his article, but in the title: "It Is Time For has been organized. Look how quietly it was February 1990. Alarm." received! It is a terrible event ... This I have the strong feeling that history is virus was able to arouse masses of cosmopol repeating itself in the lukewarm reaction in Both articles, as well as Mr. Sella's bio, are itan people. Well, nobody was alarmed the West to the grave danger and possible reprinted below. I hope that this information about this Zionist Committee. The editor of catastrophe for Soviet Jewry. It is not proves useful to Members as we work togeth Pravda was removed, and I am confused. I unlike the 1930s, when the Nazi speakers er to fight the growth of anti-Semitism in the don't know why they removed him. Maybe were dismissed as not worthy of attention. Soviet Union. for publishing the tiny bit of information Today, we see the same sort of reaction, and IT Is TIME FoR ALARM that we have Zionism here? Why are the the same lack of knowledge. What else <By Stephen Stella) Jews everywhere? I asked and was told: be should happen to open the eyes of the cause they are smart. Well, O.K., I agree. Jewish leaders and of the world's media to In the extremely fragile internal situation They are smart. Then why did they bring us the grave danger? prevailing in the U .S.S.R. there are increas to a dead end? <General laughter and ap It is time for world-wide alarm! ingly alarming signs of a rapidly growing, plause) Indeed, wherever we are, this prob aggressively anti-Semitic movement among lem always hangs in the air. Finally we have leading Russian intellectuals and national to solve it! Some people asked Gorbachev BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF STEPHEN S. SELLA ists. why he oppresses the Jews. He answered: I was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1921, to Reading the Soviet press, one sees numer "For God's sake, 20% of them are in the a family of a furniture maker, Jacob Silber ous articles and letters to the editor with most important positions." Let's add three stein, a religious Jew, sympathetic to the Zi the sharply anti-Semitic tone. The options times more-those who have another name onist movement. being expressed, however, do not allow an and are hiding under a cover of another We lived in a predominantly Polish, catho outsider to gauge the depth of this extre nation." lic neighborhood, where our family was iso mism or whether it enjoys a wide sympa Tatiana Glushkova-"The controversy in lated from neighbors, who refused to accept thetic audience. Moscow and also in ~ningrad isn't at all be- us as part of the community. My earlie_st e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 4716 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 20, 1990 childhood memories include a bitter taste of visited my parents-in-law in Siberia four and growing ethnic tensions. They are per religious and ethnic intolerance among the times, and had the unique occasion to ob haps already the strongest, and certainly Polish population. There was broad support serve "real Soviet life", having been accept the fastest-growing, of the divisive forces to the official Polish position of antisemi- ed as one of their own in a remote town, pushing the country toward bloodshed and tism and my earliest memories were tainted where never before had a stranger been ex civil war.