Gerald Ford Remembered For Helping Soviet Jews Gain Freedom

Former U.S. President Gerald Ford who died on Tuesday night (White House announcement) will, among other things, be remembered for his important contributions to international religious freedom, and particularly religious freedom for Soviet Jews. Yesterday's Australian Jewish News points out that Ford signed the Helsinki Final Act in August 1975. In the document, the U.S., Canada, the Soviet Union and 32 European countries agreed to respect human rights, including fundamental freedoms of religion, thought and conscience. The Declaration helped put pressure on the former Soviet Union to permit emigration of Jews. In another attempt to pressure the Soviet Union to allow persecuted Jews to leave the country, in January 1975 Ford signed into law the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. It denied most-favored nation trading status to nations with non-market economies that restricted free emigration.