11. TIE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 18 Friday, October 9, 1981 Conflict Over Aid to Emigres By BORIS SMOLAR tion from the Soviet Union would be forthcoming if the emigres would proceed to Israel, in conformity with their exit visas. This brought about the agency's new policy which gives the Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union the alternative of either pro- ceeding to Israel or remain- ing without aid by major Jewish organizations in countries where they are stranded as strangers. 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A serious conflict has been brewing quietly dur- ing the last weeks between the Jewish Agency and American Jewish leaders over the emigration of Soviet Jews to the United States and countries other than Israel. Involved di- rectly is HIAS, which as- sists Soviet Jewish refugees to emigrate to countries other than Israel when they refuse to proceed to Israel upon their reaching Vienna — their first stop in the free world. A temporary compromise which may lead to a solution satisfactory to all sides within a period of 90 to 180 days from now was finally reached in Jerusalem at the Jewish Agency board of governors meeting in which Americans serve as mem- bers. The conflict arose when the Jewish Agency intro- duced a few weeks ago a new policy aimed at preventing Soviet Jewish refugees from becoming "dropouts" when they reach Vienna. Hitherto, agency officials in Vienna referred to such re- fugees to HIAS which aided them with the necessary formalities to secure visas in other countries. While waiting for these visas, they were being maintained as refugees by the Joint Dis- tribution Committee (JDC). 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Referrals to American Jewish agencies for assis- tance were given by the Jewish Agency under its new policy only to those who have parents, children and spouses in the country where they wish to settle. Brothers and sisters were excluded under the agency's new plan, to the great dis- satisfaction of American Jewish leaders. The Jewish Agency notified the U.S. govern- ment and the Austrian gov- ernment of its decision. It also informed the Dutch Embassy which looks after Israeli interests in Moscow and acts as the inter- mediary on affidavits sent by Israelis to relatives and friends wishing to emigrate to Israel. Leaders ofJewish organi- zations engaged in helping the Soviet Jewish refugees — including many of the larger communities in the U.S. which absorb them upon reaching this country — were very unhappy over the new policy of the Jewish Agency. Leaders of HIAS re- jected outright and loudly the Jewish Agency position. The Joint Distribution Com- mittee, which maintains the refugees until they receive their visas from BORIS SMOLAR the United States after a wait of several weeks in Italy, wishes to continue abiding by its policy and practice. The Jewish fed- erations have reiterated their view that Jews com- ing out of the Soviet Union should be helped to resettle in the country of their choice. There is fear that if the American Jewish agencies in Vienna and Italy discon- tinue their aid to the re- fugees who do not wish to proceed to Israel, the latter will turn for aid to non- Jewish agencies who make no religious distinction and also assist Jewish refugees when they apply for aid. More than 90 percent of the cost of assisting re- fugees from the Soviet Union is covered by the U.S. government. This includes transportation to the U.S. The U.S. government has indicated that this policy is motivated by humanitarian considerations and that this will change despite the new policy by the Jewish Agency. Among the agencies be- nefitting from this policy is the Rav Tov, an organiza- tion which is operated by the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidim which does not recognize the restrictions imposed by the Jewish Agency. Of the 259 Jews from the Soviet Union ar- rived in Vienna by Sept. 21, 78 turned for assistance to Ray Tov to proceed to the U.S. What prompted the Jewish Agency to em- bark on its new policy? In an effort to secure larger Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union — which dropped from about 4,000 in July two years ago to a mere few hundred in July this year, and was even lower in August — a Jewish delegation in Canada inter- vened with the Soviet Am- bassador there. The delega- tion was told by the Ambas- sador that the Soviet gov- ernment is "embarrassed" by the fact that most of the Soviet Jews permitted to emigrate to Israel do not go to Israel, but proceed for set- t lrem ie s ent in Western coun- "We do not permit any of our other citizens to emig: rate to Western lands, why should we permit this to Jews?" the Ambassador was reported as stating. This was taken by the Jewish Agency leadership as a hint that larger Jewish emigra- There is the possibility that the statement made by the Soviet Ambas- sador in Canada was merely his own opinion and not the view of the Moscow government; or that it was merely bluf- fing tactics in order to di- vert world criticism of Moscow's violation of the Helsinki pact which pro- vides for rights to emig- rate. The decision adopted at the end of last month at the meeting of the board of gov- ernors of the Jewish Agency — after long deliberations with leaders of the Council ofJewish Federations, Joint Distribution Committee and HIAS — constitutes a compromise by both sides to see whether the Jewish Agency's new policy will bring during the next 90 to 180 days an increased emig- ration from the Soviet Un- ion, or whether the hint by the Soviet Ambassador in Canada was just a bluff. In the meantime, HIAS and the JDC will continue to render assistance to those Soviet Jewish refugees qualified to proceed to the U.S. and other countries outside of Israel as persons having parents, children or spouses in these countries. The Jewish Agency also made a compromise with regard to brothers and sis- ters: If a refugee has a brother or sister in Israel and also in a country out- side of Israel, he must pro- ceed to Israel, but if he has a brother or a sister in a coun- try outside of Israel only, he is qualified to proceed to that country with the aid of HIAS and JDC. As matters stand now, when the emigration from the Soviet Union is at its lowest, the number of Soviet Jews proceeding to Israel following their arrival in Vienna has risen from 15 percent to 30 percent after the Jewish Agency adopted its new policy. However, the total number of Jews permitted to leave Russia during that period was just a few hundred. More than a third of them continued to Israel, another third was qualified by the Jewish Agency to re- ceive aid from JDC and HIAS and seek settlement in countries outside of Is- rael, and the remainder applied for assistance to Ray Tov and to American non-Jewish organizations engaged in helping emigra- tion of Soviet refugees to the United States.