Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections. Collection: Green, Max: Files Folder Title: Soviet Jewry (11) Box: 24 To see more digitized collections visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected] Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/ •*• AMERICAll ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS CO•ITTEE 500 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, 11.W., SUITE 300 WASHINGTON, D.C. 2m1 Telephone (202) 638-2256 Y14Y! f;y-Ylh~ ~ ~ 1~ 1 -11~ ~~~ f-o With the compliments of DAN COHEN Legislative Liaison ,,,~l1 '\UU ni:iw 11'7N 02-u 11 u :"7u '7J1f77Jtl -rJJlil Alon Shvut, Israel Mr. Ronald Reagap. The President of! the United States The White House ) Washington, D.C. U.S.A. 20500 January 9, 1987 Dear Mr. President, In the light of your ongoing concern for Soviet Jewry, we wish to call to your attention the plight of Prisoner of Zion Yuli Edelshtein, who has been an adopted member of our community since 1984. A few of us who, as Americans (approximately 10% of our community are American citizens), were able to visit the Soviet Union were priveleged to meet Yuli prior to his imprisonment two­ and-a-half years ago, and we were aware then as we are now that he exemplifies the kind of courageous human being that the Soviet Union is trying to suppress and subdue. His process of self-discovery through the Hebrew language and Jewish culture and religion, his assumption of a leadership role in the renascent Jewish movement in which he served as a Hebrew teachEIT, and his application to return to this homeland in Israel resulted in sustained KGB harassment and, in the end, imprisonment on false charges of drug possession. The transcript of his "trial" smuggled out to the West dramatically documents the process of perversion of justice in a police state. After many months of maltreatment in the inhuman conditions of a remote labor camp to which he was sentenced, the inevitable happened. In what authorities described as a work accident, Yuli suffered multiple fractures and serious internal injuries. At first medical treatment was cruelly denied and then, subsequent to Western outcry, it was provided, albeit inadequately, in a Siberian prison hospital. Now the struggle for his welfare continues and remains in a critical stage. In a recent telephone conversation with his wife., we learned that despite humanitarian pleas from the West, the Soviet authorities have chosen to ignore his poor condition (see enclosed medical re~~;. J."and pave returned him to a labor camp. (Better ~i~~tment i'• ~\J~ hip only if he would sign a "confession" of ~:~~e~~ilo · ~is}rtl:flt•fould aesist from maintaining contact w'i \li~---- thel"i~... ..... ~ ••;-1.:- , .. ~~. .... .... ........ .. • ail.,. ~•"'"~~~· c: •.t.~ .......... 4 •i•::• •• ~. ..../ *' u. ~""'". _, ~'\ ...... .~.,.:t~· ~·· 4 0 .., ,,. ~.a..t.W}lt~··· • ~.·.... ·~ ..,..__..Y .. -.•.. 11>. 0 0 ....'j • ...... ,...... • D • • tt ···.....~.. ·· ,,,,......~ . ~~--= . D'71:J..l'7 D,l;i l:J.'VJ1 - 2 - 11·~37 VJU n1:iw 11'7N oz-94 21 u :'7\1 'T.J1f7T.J;'1 "'Tl11i'l Therefore, as concern for his health and his very life mounts, we turn to you, Mr. President, and to the United States government to continue and to intensify your efforts to alleviate his terrible suffering and bring him to freedom. Natan Sharansky's contention that Anatoly Marchenko was allowed to die in prison because "the Soviet authorities were convinced that no serious western response would be forthcoming ~' (New York Times, Jan. 4, 1987) burns in our ears and we know that we must do everything possible for Yuli and other heroic prisoners of conscience. Like Sharansky, Yuli Edelshtein has bravely refused to abandon the principles of numan freedom and conscience that Judaism ana democracy hold so precious. His battle, of course, is not that of a single dissident but 01· all. OI us who maintain that adnerance to interna~ional agreements of human rights is a pre-condition for meaningful interaction, cooperation and trust among modern nations. His life and our jus~ cause depend on our continued unrelen~ing efforts. May ~hese determined erforts and God's help enable us one day soon tv greet Yuli Edelshtein and his fellow Pri~oners of Zion, as we greeted Natan Sharansky, in health and in the freedom we hold so dear. In conclusion, Mr. President, we appe~l to you to do all that is in your power to promote the immediate release of Prisoner of Zion YuJ.i Edelshtein from his unjust imprisonment and help him to fulfill his dream of settling with his family in his national homeland. 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This has been issuel>, and there has been some loosen­ interpreted abroad as ending the U.S. Sees Tightened Rules - ing of restrictions on film and theater, preference given to Jews in the past. including some frank productions Now, Mr. Schifter said, the 30,000 to Earlier Preference for Jews about the Stalin era. 40,000 people estimated to have close New Chapter In De-Stallnlr.atlon relatives abroad Include Jews, Arme­ Now Apparently at End Stephen F. Cohen, a professor of nians, ethnic Germans, Lithuanians, Soviet politics at Princeton, sees this as Latvians, Estonians and Ukrainians. lt a second chapter in de-Stalinization, is not known how many of them would By DAVID K. SHIPLER the first of which was written by Nikita want to emigrate. Special to The New York Times S. Khrushchev in 1956 when he de­ Fewer Jews Are Being Held WASHINGTON. Jan. I - .American nounced Stalin's repressive policies. In the midst of Mr. Gorbachev's officials remain concerned that recent "Gorbachev is trying to rally the in­ liberalization, Jewish campaigners in steps by Mikhail S. Gorbachev to liber· telligentsia that share his values and the emigration movement have had alize some elements of Soviet society his views to his side," Professor Cohen mixed experiences, according to Jerry may not touch restrictions on emigra­ said. "I saw· with my own eyes people Goodman, executive director of the Na· tion, a major obstacle in relations be­ in Moscow. Established ·reform intelli­ tional Conference. No Jewish acuv1st tween the two countries. gentsia were just elated." lias been· arresfe<I, tried and impris· Emigration from the Soviet Union in If no steps are taken by .Mr. Gorba­ oned since last summer, Mr. Goodman general is heavily restricted, and the chev to relax movement .across the said, although some have been locked State Department estimates that only Soviet border, the domestic changes up for 15 days on charges of hooligan· 30,000 to 40,000 people would be eligible may not affect the political dynamics Ism. to leave under a new emigration law between Washington and Moscow, for The number of Jewish campaigners that took. effect today, according to the emigration issue occupies an im· in prison is down to 14, "the lowest in Richard Schifter, Assistant Secretary portant place among the irritants in many years," he said. The usual level of State for Human Rights and Hu­ Soviet-American relations. has been about two dozen. At least four manitarian Affairs. Under American law, relaxation of of the prisoners have been beaten, ac· "I have heard disparaging remarks emigration restrictions is a prerequi· cording to information reaching here.