Letters from Gabriel Shapiro to the Committee for Human Rights at the United Nations Regarding his Attempts to Emigrate from the USSR to Israel

1971

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LETTER FROM GABRIEL SHAPIRO  Oct. 25, 1971 (Translated from Hebrew) To the Committee for Human Rights at the United Nations Copy to: Mrs. Tamar Eshel, Representative of Israel at the Committee for Human Rights
Dear Sirs:
I wish to begin by stating that I am one of those Jews for whom exists only one way; to proceed to the homeland, to Eretz Israel. For only in living in it and serving in it do I see my way in life. It goes without saying that this is not a smoothly paved road, but a road which is filled for every one of us with brutal maltreatment and op-pression on the part of the Soviet authorities. I, therefore, wish to emphasize that all that which I am going to tell you about myself, can be applied to every Jew who desires to emigrate to Israel. It began with my receiving my affidavit from my relatives in Israel, the family Ardin. The affidavit reached me at the beginning of November of last year. However, it was not until the end of February last that I managed to submit my applications, that is with a delay of over 3 months. The reason was that the management of the office in which I was employed at the time, categorically refused to grant me a certificate of good conduct (character reference), which must accompany applica-tions made to the Exit Permit Office. Without that certificate, the Exit Permit Office refused to accept my applications. Thus, I was circling around in a vicious circle. This circling around, which was accompanied by my dismissal from work, ended when the situation changed to the better and my applications were accepted without the certificate of good conduct. This happened however after I was one of those who made a strike at the office of the General Prosecutor. I called the Exit Permit Office and was told that an Exit Permit which had already been granted me, was cancelled because of my "bad behaviour." As a protest against this maltreatment and blackmail, I submitted my notice of renunciation of Soviet citizenship, but till now I have received no reply. Simultaneously, I applied for Israeli Citizenship. As far as I know, my request was granted, and I am now an Israeli citizen. In view of the prolonged refusal (on the part of the Soviet Authorities), and of its character, I roamed all the Israeli offices and denounced the unlawfulness of that refusal.
Recently, in the beginning of October, I was informed that my case had been considered, and that my application was rejected, not because of that former "reason" (bad behaviour), but because of my allegedly impending military service. As to this I must say that I worked two years, after graduating from the Moscow University, Faculty of Chemistry and was concerned with the distillation and the purification of water for the use of various production plants. Throughout the period of my service I had no access to the work processes of those plants or to any secret papers or documents. I also should be pointed out that I was discharged from all and any employment in November 1970, that is when I received my affidavit. Therefore, the representatives of the Soviet authorities keep on refusing me, using groundless excuses in order to put obstacles in my way and prevent me from emigrating to Israel. Dear sirs, I am turning to you in the hope that you will do every-thing in your power to convince those on whom the matter depends that to deprive me of the right to which I am entitled according to the Charter of Human Rights is possible only by not understanding the mission of the Jews to return to their homeland and to live there. There are sacred things, undeniable rights, which one must not maltreat.
With much respect,
Gabriel Shapiro Moscow, 18 Lomondsovsky Prospekt, kv.271 USSR
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