THE AMERICAN ZIONIST MOVEMENT
MICHIGAN REGION

presents a

Community Forum

Refugee Quota Slots
Revive Arguments

New York (JTA) — Should a
third of the American refu-
gee quota be devoted to Jews
from the former Soviet
Union?
That question has been
raised anew, and effectively
answered "no," by the presi-
dent of the American Zionist
Movement, Seymour Reich.
His view has revived a
long-running battle that pits
the Zionist principle of Jew-
ish immigration to Israel
against the feeling of Ameri-
can Jews that they have no
right to deny to Russians the
haven their own grand-
parents found on American
shores.
The issue was raised last
month by Sen. Alan Simp-
son, R- Wyo., in a Senate
hearing on immigration and
refugee affairs.
At the hearing, Secretary
of State Warren Christopher
noted the need to "bring the
Soviet refugee admissions
program into conformity
with emerging realities in
the former Soviet Union,"
according to a summary of
the hearing prepared by the
National Conference on
Soviet Jewry.
Mr. Reich, in a statement
last week, called for a re-
evaluation of the refugee
quota, declaring that
"Russian Jews are taking
places that might otherwise
go to Bosnian victims of
`ethnic cleansing' and other
deserving refugees in flight
from persecution."
Mr. Reich's argument was
hotly criticized as irrespon-
sible and wrong by the Jew-
ish organizations that reset-
tle the roughly 40,000 Jew-
ish immigrants who arrive
in America annually.
"According to U.S. refugee
policy, a reduction in the

1

number of Jews to the U.S.
in no way guarantees an in-
crease in the number of ad-
missions of any other refu-
gee population," said a
statement issued by the
Hebrew Immigrant Aid
Society, the Council of Jew-
ish Federations and the Na-
tional Conference on Soviet
Jewry.
Further, activity on behalf
of Jews from the former
Soviet Union has helped
other refugees, according to
Gary Rubin, outgoing direc-
tor of national affairs for the
American Jewish Com-
mittee.
"Jewish support has been
a vital part of a coalition
that has succeeded in bring-
ing Asian and African and
other refugees to the United
States," Mr. Rubin said.
"Were the Jewish slice to
drop out, there would be a
weakening of the overall co-
alition."
Additionally, according to
Martin Wenick, president of
BIAS, the Jewish commun-
ity last year showed "some
flexibility" and agreed to
give up some slots to be used
by Bosnian refugees.
But those refugees never
arrived.
Mr. Reich's statement, and
the rejoinder to it, dealt at
length with the changing
situation in the former
Soviet Union.
Mr. Reich, referring to
Boris Yeltsin's victory over
the rejectionist Parliament,
argued that "the Jews of
Russia can no longer claim
to be victims of government
persecution who
automatically deserve the
status of refugees for entry
into the United States."

ISRAEL: THE POLITICS OF RELIGION

WHAT SHOULD BE THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY?

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1993 - 7:30 P.M.

Panelists: (Affiliation given for identification only)
Rabbi Milton Arm, Southfield, Michigan
Professor Robert Sedler, Wayne State University Law School
Rabbi Dov Bergstein, Farmington Hills, Michigan
Moderator:
John O'Neill, Chair, Forum Committee, AZM, Michigan Region
Join the discussion with your comments and
questions on this most timely issue.

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