flagrant violation oftheHelsinki FinalActandmany oth~rinternational obligations assumed bytheSovietGovernment, refusethempermission toleave. _J00/20 Al40/W~18 81 (Mr.Shamir,Israel) IManyofthoseJewswhohavebeendeniedpermission toleaveareforcedtolive asoutcasts fromSovietsociety, subjectto$11mannerofofficial harassment and persecution, whilebeing effe~tively deprived ofthemeansoflegalredress. Increasing numbers havebeenengulfed intecentmonthsinanaccelerating waveof arrests, trialsandsavage senten~es ofimprisonment ontrumped-up criminal charges. Jewsseeking todisseminate knowledge oftheHebrewlanguage havebeen prominent amongtheserecentvictimsofjudicial repression. TheseJewsareinno wayviolating Sovietlaw,noraretheyinvolved inanyformofanti-Soviet activity. Theirrealcrimes,intheeyesoftheauthorities, ~retheirpersistent demandtoleaveforIsraelandtheirefforts, inthefaceofstrenuous official opposition, toperpetuate theirJewishheritage, culture andreligion. Alloftheseoutrages aretakingplaceagainst thebackground ofarelentless campaign ofanti-semitic incitement, usually camouflaged asanti-zionism, illthe officially controlled media- acampai9n designed bytheauthorities toencourage anattitude ofsuspicion, hatredandcontempt towards SovietJewsonthepartof theSovietpopulation. Wecalluponallpersonsofgoodwill andallGovernments inthecivilized worldtojoinusinourprotests andinurgingtheSovietauthorities toconform theirpolicies towards SovietJewrytotheinternational obligations solemnly undertaken bytheSovietGovernment. ISlaelseeksgeedr=lations withallStatesincluding, naturally, theSoviet Union. WehavelookedtothenewSovietleadership forsignsofchangeinits attitude towards SovietJewry. Regrettably, sofarwehaveseennopositive changes whatsoever •.wetherefore havenochoicebuttocontinue toexpose e~ergetically andprotest vigorously theseflagrant violations oftherightsofour00/20 A/40/PV.18 88 (Hr.Shuir, Iarael) fellowJewsseekingtojointheirpeopleinIsra~l. Weshallcontinue to40so unti~everySovietJewwhosowishesisfreetoexercise thisbasicright. The~eis81sotheproblem oftheJewsofSyria,whoares~bjected bythe Syrianregimetodiscrimination andrestrictive policies andarenotfreetochoose tolivewherever theywish.Thisisaflagrant violation oftheUniversal Declaration ofHumanRights, ofwhichSyriaisasignatory. Jewswhowishto travelabroadmustleavetheirfamilies behindaslivinghostages toensurethe travellers' return. Several hundred youngJewishwomenremain a~married because ofthedepleted maleJewishpopulation inSyria. TheSyrianGovernment hascruelly refused to allowthosewomentoleavethecountry inordertobeabletomarrywithintheir faithandemtablish families. We~!eelsoconcerned abOutthesmall,ancient Jewishcommunity leftin Ethiopia, becauseofitsisolation andsuffering andthelatestdisasters thathave! befallen ttlatcountry. SomeoftheseJewshavealready returned totheirhistoric homeland andhavebeenreceived aslong-lost brothers andsisters whohavefinally returned home. ThepeopleofIsraelanditsGovernment haveexpressed theirsolidarity with theEthiopian people, whichhasundergone muchsuffering asaresultoftherecent famineandotherdifficulties. WeappealtotheEthiopian Government torespect thecultural andreligious dghtsoftheJewishcommunity andtollnableitto continuetomaintain itshe~itage andreligion and,onhumanitarian grounds, to permitthoseamongthemwhosodesiretobereunited withtheirfamilies inIsrael. Thefortieth anniversary ofthefounding oftheUnitedNations maybea fitting occasion forareviewandreappraisal ofitsactivities, infrankand constructive self-criticism. 1•1.._---------,---BG/20 A/40/PV.18 89~90 (Mr.Sham!r, Israel) TneUnlt~d ~ations shouldnotmerelycelebrate itspastbutalsoplanforits future. Somemayfeeldisheartened ~thefactthat,aftersomanyyearsofUnited Nations preoccupation withtheproblems ofthedeveloping countries, westill remainsodistant fromthegoalofbridging thegapbetween thepoorandtherich ~ nationsoftheworld. Poverty, hunger, malnutrition anddisease s~illcharacterize theconditions oflifeinmanypartsoftheworld. Oneinescapable conclusion isthatprogress hastoooftenbeenhampered bya tendency tosubstitute slogans forserious plansofaction. Meeting theworld's pressing economic andsocialp:oblems willrequire newdimensions ofinternational co-operation. Thedangeroffaminecontinues toafflict developing countries. Thereisdireneedforurgentaction bytheworldcommunity. ThepeoplesofAfrica arestruggling tofreethemselves fromthecursesofpoverty andhunger, andthe restoftheworldmusthelptheminthisstruggle. Thevitalelement ofdeveloping traditional agriculture hasbeensorely neglected. Israelisnowpreparing anaidproposal formoreefficient food delivery systemsthatwouldprovidebetternutrition andwouldlinksuchaidwith landandwaterdevelopment programmes.