The Carter Administration is commonly associated with a renewed emphasis on morality in American foreign policy. Historians are divided,however,on the coherence,the bases and the accomplishments of Carter’s humanitarian diplomacy. His human rights policy vis-à-vis the Soviet Union has so far been neglected. This article attempts to be a critical assessment of Carter’s reaction to Moscow’s repression of Soviet Jews and non-respect of their emigration right. It shows that, despite his initial claims, Carter tried very early on to find a balance between morality and realism that would help his Administration obtain a fast and beneficial conclusion of the agreements under negotiations with the Kremlin. The American President responded to the Kremlin’s provocations only in a defensive fashion and only when internal pressures forced him to do so.