Page 6 - The Canadian Jewish N'ews, Thursday. February 26, 1981
Wbrld-Nationai
M T
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l^otler savs humaa rights protest against IJSSR defused
By BEVERLEY STERN
TORONTO — ^
Vyln the release of one. 'Orthodox Jew. loslTTvlen-deievich. help to take ' some of the chili off a cold U.S.-USSR rclationship?
According to some observers here, the answer is that such an action can't hurt.
But in the light of all the comple.v mutual concerns of both countries, it's a moot point about hou much it helps..
Other issues are far more contentious; .Afghanistan. Salt II. The Gulf War. Poland. .Aid to El Salvador. ■.Amongst others.
So wh\ release .Mendelevich'/ .And uhv now?
In the field of human rights, according to Irwin . Co11 e r. Can ad ian 1 ega 1 ^counsel to several impri-. soned Jewish activists, including .Mendelevich, "the Soviets—may have wanted to send a positive signal to the Reagan administration, a not uncommon practice with -a*-new a.driiinistraiion. panicu-larly at a time of intensified Cold VVar rhetoric."
More to the point, perhaps, is that the Soviets wanled to get the world Jewish community off its back, and defuse international and Euro-Communist condemnation of anti-semitism at this particular time.
Starting Feb. 2.\ the Soviet   Union  has been
playing host to about 5,000 Soviet Gommiinists and more than 100 foreign delegations for the Soviet Communists Party's.26th congress. The 'congress meets foc_10 days.
At the recent ongoing .Madrid conference of European nations which reviewed human rights late last year, the Soviet Union received blasts not only from the West; but also from within-the ranks of Euro-Communists for its dismal performance in that area.
Particularly, the Soviets were scored for their refusal to allow thousands either to emigrate or re-unifv with families.
By letting Mendelevich go, some of the intensity- of the human rights protest that would have been raised at -the congress Is-defused, said Cotler.
Cotlcr is also convinced that the performance SiL. world Jewry groups during the Madrid review also played a significant role in" sensitizing public opinion to the critical state of Soviet Jewry.
Prior to Madrid, world Jewry groups all briefed their respective governments in detail on anti-semitism within the Soviet Union.
^During the same conference, the Canadian Jewish Congress published specific case histories on about 450 Soviet Jewish
Refuseniks. The World Conference on Soviiet Jewry also distributed its own report on how' the Soviet Union failed to impteTnent it-s human rights promises of the Helsinki Final Act.
A vyhole critical mass of advocacy for Soviet Jewis came to fruition here in Madrid, said Cotler. In particular, he singled out the work of American university lawyers siich as Alan Dershowitz. Harvard. Telford Taylor. Columbia, and Leon Lipson, Yale: The role of Max Kampelriian. the head of the U.S. delegation to Madrid was particularly outstanding. Cotler said.
Cotler also alluded to the  visits  made  to IS
more efforts urged on their behalf
One dou n . Eighteen more to
.After losif .Mendelevich Has released Feb. l^. another IS Prisoners of Conscience ' remain in Soviet prisons, labor camps or exile.
Among them are two non-Jeu s.' Yuri Federov and, .Ale.\ei Murzhenko. both of whom were taiken prisoner along with .Vlen-delevich for their pan in the abortive attempt to hijack a Soviet airliner, to Sweden on June 15, 19~0.
Federov and Nlur/hen-ko are both represented by Irwin Cotler. Canadian lew ish Congress, presi-
dent and legal counsel to several imprisoned Soviet activ ists incltiding Anatoly-Scharansky. Ida N.udel and Vladimir Slepak.
Cotlcr remarked that people mistakenly refer to Mendelevich as the last defendant of the Leningrad Trials to be released. \n fact, they mean the last Jewish defendant.
"We can't for a moment relax our efforts on behalf of Fedelrov and Murzhenko," Cotler said. "They are no less Prisoners of Zion because they are non-Jews. They shared the same fate. They deserve the same concern."
Besides acting on strict-Iv humanitarian grounds. Cotler offered another reason for acting on behalf of Federov and Murzhenko. It was quite possible, he said, that the Soviet Union would try to exploit Mendelevich's release for its own anti-semi-tic purposes-
The traditional Soviet propaganda, said Cotler. is that the "international Jewish conspiracy" only cares about getting its own Jews out. As for non-Jews, the Soviet Union charges that Jews are indifferent.
said to be bypassed
Even Dr. Andrei Sakha-rov. the famed Russian scientist now in internal exile in Gorsky, told Cotler that the krcmlinwas out to give Jews^as black a name as possible.
Cotler revealed that it was Sakharov himself who suggested that he. Cotler. legally represent both Murzhenko and Federov. Sakharov was concerned then, said Cotler, that Jews be seen to act on behalf, of non-Jews in the Soviet Union.
Cotler emphasized that the most acute and pressing problem in the Jewish emigration movement in the USSR is the fate of the Prisoners of Conscience.
He regarded the year 1-978 as an almost record year for the number of trials (seven in all) against Jews wishing to emigrate.
Refusniks in prison have been charged with
"para'sitism." that is, failure to work; refusal to serve in the army, and in the case of Ida Nudel and Vladimir Slepak."holding signs declaring their desire togoio Israel." .
Cotler said that conditions of exile are extremely harsh. He described Siberia places of exile as amongst the worst in climate, economic conditions and living accommodations. Often, heavy physical labor is demanded.
At press time. Cotler vvas still waiting to speak to Mendelevich about a number of matters. Mendelevich, a former cellmate of; Scharansky, would be invaluable, he said, in releasingihforrna-tion about the health of Scharansky as well as discuss prison conditions.
The following Prisoners of Conscience are in camps, prison or exile:
foreign delegation by both himself and RIvka Drory, Mendelevich's sister In Israel. The delegations included >iVestemi non-aligned and East. European nations.
':'Wc received specific assurances from many that they would raise the case of Mehd,elevich," said Cotler, "because his . case aroused particular humanitarian Concern."
Mendelevich, he recalled..had been in prison 10 years,, denied visits from any friends or family for seven years, and suffered poor, health from, abuse he received for observing his religious customs.
Further, added'"'Genya Imraior. chairman of the Canadian Soviet Jewry Committee. Mendelevich, more than other prisoners, stuck like a bone in the Russian throat. He was not just any Jew. he was an Orthodox Jew.
For 10 years. Mendele-V kh consistently and suc-\cssfully defied Russian authorities by his insistence on praying, keeping the Shabbat and refusing foods that, didn't conform to the dietary laws. He even taught Hebrew to other prisoners.
-After Mendelevich's recent 3-month hunger strike, his health was seriously endangered. The spectacle of a dead Orthodox Jevv on the eve of the 26th Soviet Communist Party Congress was not palatable, speculated Mrs. Inirator. Fur-
Error
Due to a typographical error, Rabbi Benjamin Hauer of Congregation Chevra Kadisha B'nai Jacob in Montreal was incorrectly identified in a siopk in last week's CJN as (he former rabbi of the •congregation. We regret this error.
[Cont'd, from page 1]
Reagan administration-officials; recognizing the sensitivity of the proposed sale, are sounding out Israel and its supporters In Congress about possibilities for avoiding an all-out battle over the issue. Under U;S> law'. Congress can veto the sale by approving resolutions of disapproval in both the House and Senate.
State, department, and Pentagon officials contend that' the situation in the Middle East — in the wake of the IrariTlraqvvar —^ haS; deteriorated, and that the Saudis now have a .g.enu-me need for the. equipment. Which 'would in-
crease the aircraft's range from 400 to over 1.000 miles. .
"We want to make them as effective'as we can." Weinberger saidon Feb. 3 at his first news conference when asked about the Saudi Ft 15s. Weinberger explained that the Saudis have "a difficult defence problem with a long coast-.line and.a small number of forces and immensely, valuable resources for'the free world:"
Some political observers here have suggested that Weinberger's remarks about the possible stationing of U.S. troops in Israel — made in response to a question at the same news conference — could
Worldwide alarm precedes release
■ (Cont'd, from page 1]
.According to .VVJC sources, in .New. '\ork. the: negotiations between a private organization such as WJC and a .sovereign - countrv such as the-USSR m matters like these are ■'unprecedented." .
All the more remarkable, according to the Bronfman associate, was that the.Soviets didn't ask for an exchange of Soviet . prisoners in return for ■Mendelevich. . ■: (In 1979.. such an exchange took place when Leningrad Trial prisoners Edward Juznetov and Mark .Dvmshitz-plus Jewish dissident; Alvin Ginsberg, were released.in exchange for two Soviet spies servmg 50-vear sentences in the U.S.):
In the interview with The: CJN. the..Bronfman source refused to speculate either on the release. of any further prisoners or why the kremlin let Men-: delevich go. In the face of . growing speculation (see-story, page 6), he would only acknowledge that stories that the Soviet Union wanted to reduce tensions between it and the U>S and the world Jewish community prob-. ably had some credibility.
.As for Mendelevich, he is a man stillin a dream.
According to Cotler, : who spoke to Mendele^
vich's familv on the day of-hi.s release. Mendelevich was never - told r\\4iai was-happeningtohim.
He was hustled out of Perm .35 camp, taken to Moscow, and only on the way to the airport did he dare to hope .that his pravers for freedom were .finally being realized.
When he stepped out of the Aerofiot plane and saw-Israel standing at the ■ bottom ot the ramp with a ^ . prayer book and tefillin; he burst into tears.
Besides Stnger, Mendelevich wasmet by Dr. Ger-han Riegner. - secretary'-general of WJC. and Israeli ambassador to Austria. Ehssar Ben Yaacov.
Upon his arrival in Tel Aviv to a hero's welcome, Rivka Drory told -Cotler that at last she could say: "yoo -ba babyit; Hoo bamoledit." Translation.L_ "He is at home. He is in the homeland."
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be seen as a sort of "compensation" to the Israelis for closing their eyes to the Saudi deal.
"If they I Israel) should decide, and I confess I'd be a little surprised if they did," Weinberger said, "we would certainly consider a request from them to station troops in Israel, We would never initiate such a suggestion, but with the strength of the -alliance that we have^ we would certainly examine that kind of a question, if it should be raised, with a very sympathetic view-' point."
But Weinberger went on to note that it vvas a hypothetical issue and he insisted thar he was "not setting new'policy:'-' State department officials, concerned about pos.sible angry reactions in the Arab world to the stationing of.U.S. troops in Israel.-.sought to reinforce Weinberger's disclaimer,
Earlier in 'the.week, Reagan, himself, told newspaper reporters that he favored a stronger U.S.. military presence in the Middle East. But the President did not say specific-allv where. :\-
name
Yuri Federov .Arkady Feldnian Grigbry Geishas Scmypn Gluzman Yankel Groberman IgorGuberman Boris Kalenderov Alexander Milner AlexeiMurhenko Ida Nudel Ivan Oleinik . VaicryPilnikov : Anatoly Scharansky Dmitri Schiglik Simon Shnerman Vladimir Slepak Moisei Tonkonogy ^MoiseZats'.
Date of Arrest
June.19^0 Januarv..l979 Julv 14. 1980 July. 1972 Januaryvl979 August. 1979 .March. 197.9 Januarv, 1979 June.1970 June.1978 March. 1980 Julv.1980 March, 1977 Julv. 1980 May. 1978 June. 1978. March, 1980 May. 1980 ■
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Discu'ssions between Bronfman and Dobrynin went on for almost a year not only on business mat-ters but frequen11 y on Refuseniks and Jewish activists in the Sdviet Union.
Speculatipn ha.s also been arousefl, said Cotler, that the Soviet Union wanted to exploit the alleged- rift between Israel and Diaspora Jewry.
"The Sbviets, it is conjectured, want to 'credit' Bronfman with the release of Mendelevich. In so doing, they 'embolden' Diaspora Jewry leadership which has been critical of the present Israeli government."
But understanding why the Soviets do what they do at any time is a puzzle, Cotler added. "I have come to appreciate the significance of Winston Churchill's description ;,of the Soviet Union as the "mystery of a riddle wrapped in an enigma."
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