Jewish World Review Nov. 15, 2001 / 29 Mar-Cheshvan, 5762
MOSCOW DIARIST
Hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, President Bush
announced his intention to work with Congress to adjust the Jackson-Vanik
Amendment, ending trade restrictions on Russia.
Russia has made "important strides on emigration and the protection of
religious and ethnic minorities, including Russia´s Jewish community," Bush
said at a press conference Tuesday.
Adopted in 1974, the amendment made it a goal of U.S. foreign policy to
persuade the Soviet Union to relax its restrictions on emigration.
Sponsored by Sen. Henry Jackson (D-Wash.) and Rep. Charles Vanik
(D-Ohio), the amendment prohibited the extension of U.S. government credits
and most-favored-nation trade status to any country with a "nonmarket
economy" that didn´t allow its citizens to emigrate freely.
The reasons for removing the restrictions now are twofold. Washington wants
to hold together its fragile international coalition against the Taliban and
Osama bin Laden´s Al Qaida terrorist network, and is looking for something to
offer Putin for his support. In addition, the White House wants to entice Russia
to support Bush´s missile defense program.
U.S. Jewish groups say they understand the reasoning, but want assurances
that the Russian government will help its Jewish communities.
Russian Jewish groups take a slightly different line, urging the United States to
lift the trade restrictions unconditionally.
Visiting the United States this week, one of Russia´s chief rabbis said he is
convinced that Putin is serious about fighting anti-Semitism at home, and
intends to "eradicate it completely."
Rabbi Berel Lazar was one of a half-dozen Russian and American Jews who
met with Putin Tuesday night at the Russian Embassy in Washington.
They reportedly were impressed by Putin´s warmth and his resolve to help the
Jewish community in Russia. Putin also spoke about his personal experience
growing up near a Jewish family.
Before Rosh Hashanah this year, Putin sent a letter to the Jewish community
promising to stamp out anti-Semitism in Russia. This week´s meeting proved
Putin´s commitment to the well-being of Russian Jewry, fighting anti-Semitism
and letting Russian Jews travel freely and retain their dual Russian-Israeli
citizenship, Lazar said.
It is important to lift Jackson-Vanik so Russia can see that American attitudes
also have changed, Lazar told JTA.
It also helps their relations with the surrounding society that Russian Jews are
seen to support the change, Lazar said.
Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has been granted normal trade
relations every year through annual presidential waivers.
Under Jackson-Vanik, to receive such a waiver Russia´s emigration policies
must pass an annual review. The waivers have allowed Russian-American
trade to continue unhindered over the past decade, but Russia resents the
review process and wants normal trade relations to be permanent.
Since Jackson-Vanik is an amendment to trade legislation, a bill to change the
legislation would have to originate in the U.S. House of Representatives´ Ways
and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade agreements and
revenue measures.
Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) met with the U.S. national security adviser,
Condoleezza Rice, and plans to introduce legislation this year, spokesman
Matt Gobush said, but Lantos doesn´t believe it will acted upon until next year.
Lantos already has support from the committee chairman, its ranking member
and other leading lawmakers, Gobush said.
"We´ve yet to see any resistance to the idea," he said.
Lantos has insisted on certain commitments, which could be included as
"findings" in the legislation. They address the continuation of free Jewish
emigration, enforcement of hate crimes legislation and restitution of Jewish
communal property seized by the Soviets in the 1920s and 1930s.
Some members of Congress do not agree that Putin should be rewarded for
the steps he has made to date. Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.) wrote a letter
to the U.S. deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, expressing concern that
anti-Semitism is still prevalent in Russia and that it is too early to change
Jackson-Vanik.
Russia is providing assurances that it will not revert to its former repression,
according to Harold Luks, chairman of NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews in
Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia.
A recent exchange of letters between U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, on the importance of human rights and
religious freedom, is a very positive step, Luks said.
Though he noted the different approaches of the American and Russian
Jewish communities, Luks said the United States must be involved in
ensuring the future of Jewish life in Russia.
"The Russian Jewish community is looking at 2001, and the American Jewish
community is looking at 2001 and beyond," Luks said. "That´s the reason for
the assurances."
Jackson-Vanik no longer applies to Georgia and
Kyrgyzstan. Belarus, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are unlikely to be
considered for the step because of continued restrictions on emigration, some
say.
Other former Soviet republics that might be freed from trade restrictions
include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and
Ukraine.
Needing Putin's support, Bush
ready to repeal Jackson-Vanik
http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- (JTA)
U.S. and Russian Jewish groups are pleased
as a law that helped ensure the emigration of tens of thousands of Soviet
Jews appears to be approaching its end.
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