World Jewish Congress Formulates Demands to Unrra Conference in Montreal

The World Jewish Congress today announced that it will “present the Jewish case” in a memorandum to the forthcoming session of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration which will open in Montreal on September 15. The summary of the “Jewish case” to be presented cutlines the following points.

1 That the Jewish problem be treated as distinctive of all others, since the Jews were singled out as victims of brutality everywhere in Nazi dominated Europe, and since the number of displaced Jews is 5 times larger than that of Poles, 11 times that of Belgians, 13 times that of the French, 30 times that of the Greeks and 140 times larger than the number of displaced Norwegians. Approximately 90 per cent of the Jewish survivors of Europe are displaced persons.

2. That the Jews should be represented at the UNRRA Councils as observers and should attend the meetings of the standing committees on Displaced Persons, Health and Welfare. That UNRRA should have Jews on its staff to perform the relief work in Jewish communities.

3. That displaced persons of enemy or ex-enemy nationality who were victims of the Nazis because of racial, religious or political persecutions should be taken care of by UNRRA and assisted in their return, repatriation or re-settlement, even if their forced displacement occurred before the formal outbreak of the war.

The total number of displaced Jews in Europe is estimated at 4,100,000 — approximately 2,100,000 from Nazi dominated areas, and about 2,000,000 from territories under the control of the United Nations or neutral countries. “Among these millions of people there will be many who for justifiable reasons will not wish to return to their former homes,” the memorandum says. “It is urged that UNRRA include the settlement of these persons in a suitable place, preferably Palestine, as a regular part of its program.”