ALICE EVE SARDELL, ESQ.
“IF I AM NOT FOR MYSELF, WHO WILL BE FOR ME? BUT IF I AM ONLY FOR MYSELF, WHAT AM I? AND IF NOT NOW, WHEN?”
HILLEL
On this 30th anniversary of the Jews exiting Syria, I feel gratitude that we, the Council for the Rescue of Syrian Jews (CRSJ), succeeded, and that Syria’s Jews are here in America thriving with bright futures.
The Council for the Rescue of Syrian Jews was formed in the spring of 1989. We all held the burning conviction that the time had come to free the Jews of Syria; that no one man, not even Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, could hold 4,000 Jews hostage. With our founders, board of directors, and donors supporting us; Marcos Zalta, Clement Soffer, Jack Mann, and I, together with our Executive Director Professor Gilbert Kahn, evolved into a tight knit group who were hardworking, dedicated and who depended on each other. We needed to be credible, to lead, and make the hard decisions. As we worked, the political landscape shifted, and we were poised to take advantage of it. Because there were 4,000 lives at stake, we worked openly on the world stage knowing that the brighter the light we shone on the Jews in Syria, the safer they would be while we worked towards their release. Failure was not an option.
As we entered the political arena, we made it clear that we would be working until every Jew in Syria was free. We began by educating the US congress, the president, and the state department about the plight of Syria’s Jews. We went door to door in Washington DC, explaining in detail, what the Jews in Syria faced on a daily basis—arbitrary arrests, secret police, divided families, sanctions against emigration, and no future. We made it clear that we, the American Syrian-Jewish community, were their families, and that we were ready to welcome them to America with open arms and resources.
AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) placed freedom for Syrian Jewry on their agenda, as did The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations along with their members, Bnai Brith, ADL, ASF, JCRC and NACRAC.
In September 1989, I met Michael Matera, who was the Syrian Desk Officer at the US State Department. He felt that freedom for the Jews in Syria would not occur until there was peace with Israel. I realized he needed to hear first-hand from Syria’s Jews. So, I arranged for two leaders of the Damascus community to meet secretly with me and Michael Matera, together with Stephen and Lilliane Shalom, at their home in NYC. Rabbi Abraham Hamra A”H, and Dr. Nessim Hasbani A”H, two courageous warriors, spoke openly about life in Syria. Not only did Matera hear their suffering, but he saw it in their faces. There was nothing further to explain. We developed a relationship of trust. Matera would let us know when heads of state, dignitaries, and congressmen would be meeting with Syria’s government officials. We would meet with them first and brief them.
While we were working, pieces of the political landscape were moving quickly, and a new table was being reset in our favor. For over 40 years, the Soviet Union had been the patron of Syria fortifying it with billions of dollars of military aid and Soviet weapons. This continued through the mid-1970s until President Hafez al-Assad ordered 30,000 troops into Lebanon. By the mid-1980s, Premier Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, felt President Assad was a liability and Soviet aid to Syria started to drop. With the end of the cold war in 1989, began the dismantling of the Soviet Union, and freedom for Soviet Jews. By 1990, over 100,000 Soviet Jews were freed and by 1991, Israel and the Soviet Union restored diplomatic relations.
Syria lost its patron and pivoted towards the United States. As a result of our work, the US government told Syria that freedom for its Jews was a necessary condition for Syria to enter into any discussions with the US. The table was reset but this Pharaoh’s heart was hard.
Stephen Shalom introduced us to the Ambassador to Syria, Edward Djerejian, with whom we met regularly when he was in Washington DC. He would later become the Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs. Djerejian was an incredible friend to CRSJ and was a pivotal person in our efforts. And as the US Ambassador in Damascus, he was on the ground, meeting regularly with Syrian government officials. He encouraged our efforts. What followed were continuous congressional delegations to Syria who met with Assad and his foreign minister for the release of the prisoners, family reunification, and for the right to emigrate for all the Jews.
We worked with both the senate and the house on letters to President George H.W. Bush and President Assad, on resolutions and legislative language, demanding freedom to travel for Syria’s Jews and that the Bush Administration make this a priority in their dealings with Syria.
Syria increased its presence in Washington DC. In 1990, Walid al-Moualem was appointed Syrian Ambassador to the US. He would soon be hearing from congress and state department people on our behalf.
We met with Ambassador Edward Djerijian again in March and June of 1990— our impact was growing. In the fall of 1990, we (Alice, Marcos, Michael Mishaan)joined Bnai Brith in a meeting with Argentina’s President Carlos Menem, of Syrian origin. He promised to reach out to Assad and vowed not to rest until all 4,000 Jews were free. We (Alice, Marcos, Michael Mishaan) stayed in close touch with Menem.
We headed to Washington on March 18, 1991, for a two hour meeting with Ambassador Djerejian who had become Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs. He was pleased with our progress. That same evening, at the AIPAC dinner, we (Alice, Marcos, Clem, Jack, Gil) spoke with 20 congressmen and King Hassan of Morocco.
On April 24, 1991, I testified in front of the 200 member Congressional Caucus on Human Rights on the subject of Syria. Congressional letters followed urging President Bush to advocate openly on behalf of the plight of Syrian Jews.
Ambassador Moualem agreed to meet with us in July 1991 at Congressmen Charles Schumer’s office. Congressman Wayne Owens joined us. We pressed for freedom for Syria’s Jews. He asked us for guarantees from the US government that they would not go to Israel. Later that day he told the new US Ambassador to Syria, Christopher Ross, that he wanted us (Alice, Clem, Gil, Abe Cohen A”H) to stop the letters and the legislation.
We continued getting the issue out on the world stage. Board member Elie Wiesel A”H met with the President of France, Francoise Mitterrand. Lilliane Shalom met privately with King Hassan of Morocco.
Together with Senator Arlen Specter A”H, we met Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. We told him that we did not want to be tied to the rise and fall of any peace negotiations going on between the Arab states and Israel. It wasn’t in our interest. Eagleburger’s face lit up as he fully agreed with our (Alice, Marcos, Clem, Gil) position.
In August 1991, we (Alice, Marcos, Michael, Gil) met at The White House with General Brent Scowcroft, the US National Security Advisor for President Bush. He said, “Syria’s Jews are on our agenda. We are concerned about them.”
At the end of the summer, we had our second meeting with Ambassador Moualem. He asked us to stop what we were doing (Alice, Clem, Gil).
By the fall of 1991, Congressman Stephen Solarz A”H and Stephen Shalom presented us with an offer from the Syrian government: 200 single girls in exchange for stopping all our efforts. We met that night to discuss it. We turned it down. We wanted everyone out. (Alice, Marcos, Clem, Jack, Gil)
At a function Clem spoke with King Juan Carlos of Spain and handed him a package that we had prepared, as his foreign minister was going to Syria and would speak to President Assad.
Ahead of the October Madrid Peace Conference, the Israeli Government stated on national television that freedom for Syria’s Jews would be top of their agenda. And on Nov. 12,1991, the Israeli Consulate met with us (Alice, Marcos, Gil) and other Jewish leaders telling them that Syrian Jewry would be a top priority.
We (Alice, Gil) held a press conference in NYC with Law Professor Irwin Cotler, stating, “Under Syria’s Constitution, all Syrian citizens are permitted to travel freely and that holding its Jews is a violation of their own constitution.”
We worked closely with congress to pass a milestone resolution, “condemning the denial of freedom of emigration and travel, calling upon the Syrian government to release all Jews in prison, urging President Bush and our allies to make similar pleas to Syria and asking for a United Nations investigation into the condition of Syria’s Jews and Syria’s adherence to the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
We held rallies in December 1991, in front of the Syrian Mission in NYC, and in front of the Syrian Embassy in Washington DC. We placed full-page ads in The New York Times and The Washington Post demanding freedom for Syria’s Jews.
By January 1992, Ambassador Moualem informed us that Silva and Faraj Alfieh ages 8 and 12 would be permitted to exit Syria to reunite with their family in New York. He asked us to stop the rallies to which I replied, “I am sorry. It is out of our hands” (Alice, Clem, Abe Cohen A”H)
On February 26, two pipe bombs were found in Manhattan, with notes attached which read, “Free Syrian Jews.” CNN interviewed me for the evening news. We were not involved. No one was hurt.
The European Parliament worked closely with us denying Syria money until the Syrian Jews were free. In April we were back in Washington DC for a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Edward Djerejian. (Alice, Clem, Marcos, Jack, Gil)
We were hearing rumblings for months from multiple sources that Assad had enough but did not yet make a move. Then on April 13, 1992, a delegation from the Jewish community in Damascus was summoned by President Assad to discuss their concerns. One week later, on April 20, 1992, we received word that Eli and Selim Soued had been released from prison and were home with their families. It was Passover. There was more to come.
On April 23, during Passover, Ed Djerejian called me with amazing news. The head of the secret police called in the leaders of the Jewish community and relayed that “President Assad has sent orders that any Jew who wishes to leave may do so.” On Sunday evening, April 26, 1992, I held an emergency meeting at my home. We agreed that the Jews being allowed to travel needed to be on the record for Syria to be accountable. (Alice, Marcos, Clem, Jack, Gil, Malcolm Hoenlein, Shoshana Cardin).
We knew that Ed Djerejian was planning a morning White House press briefing. Gil enlisted the help of two respected journalists to ask a question about Syria’s Jews. The question was asked, and with that, Edward Djerejian announced that Syria was allowing its Jewish community freedom to leave. The reporters ran out of the press room to call their news desks.
The following morning, April 28, 1992, on the front page of The New York Times, read “Syria Giving Jews Freedom to Leave.”
We worried this might only last until the upcoming US Presidential election in November. We arranged for asylum status for Syrian Jews as a group with Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. In Damascus, Ambassador Chris Ross set up the Embassy so that the Jews would get their US travel visas on the spot. Edmond Safra A”H generously donated $3M for plane tickets for those who did not have money to pay for them. We worked using every airline to get the Jews out as fast as possible.
First to arrive, were 8 individuals reuniting with their families. By May 17, 1992, 48 Jews arrived including three complete families. A steady flow continued.
By October, 2,650 Jews had arrived in New York. As the US election approached, Syria began staggering exit permits, soon closing the door on the remaining 1350 Jews.
We did not miss a beat. We wrote the position paper on Syrian Jewry for the new Clinton Administration. President Hafez Al-Assad clearly wanted to renegotiate the remaining Jews with the new US President, but this was not to be. President Bill Clinton, together with the new Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who took this issue to heart, and Special Advisor Martin Indyk, would not permit it. It took them several trips to Syria and many months of diplomacy to get the door fully open again, We doubled all of our efforts. On December 5, 1993, we held a huge rally, in NYC, and stayed the course until every Jew in Syria who wanted to leave did so.
This successful mission took a village. We stood on the shoulders of, and alongside, Stephen Shalom, who traveled to Syria for 20 years before, bringing single women out, and keeping the embers burning until we came on the scene. It took our executive committee, founders, board members, supporters and friends of CRSJ, the US government, American Jewish organizations, the European Parliament, Global heads of state, and all the individual angels to join in the fight.
We were told over and over that this would never happen. In the end it did.
Alice Eve Sardell, Esq. was the President of the Council for the Rescue of Syrian Jews. She is an attorney, broker, and resides in NYC.
