The policy committee of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, representing 21 leading Jewish organizations in eight western nations, met in executive session at the Biltmore Hotel here today and issued the following statement at the end of its deliberations:
“The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany pledges full support of the claims of the Government of Israel against Germany. The Conference intends to press for full satisfaction of all other Jewish material claims against Germany, including the claims of individuals for restitution and indemnification and of organizations with respect to heirless and unclaimed property.
“The Conference emphasizes that its demand for satisfaction of Jewish material claims against Germany involves no forgiveness for the heinous crimes perpetrated against the Jews during the Nazi regime.
“The Conference authorizes its executive committee to (1) take all steps necessary to obtain satisfaction for these claims and demands and (2) to create a praesidium, of which Dr. Nahum Goldmann will be presiding officer, with power to conduct such negotiations as developments may warrant.”
16 VOTE IN FAVOR; ONE VOTES AGAINST; TWO ABSTAIN
Of 19 organizations represented at today’s session, 16 voted in favor of authorizing the executive committee to take all steps necessary to implement the program of the Conference, one voted against and two abstained. The 16 organizations which voted in favor were:
Alliance Israelite Universelle; American Jewish Committee; American Jewish Congress; Anglo-Jewish Association; B’nai B’rith; Board of Deputies of British Jews; British Section, World Jewish Congress; Canadian Jewish Congress; Conseil Representatif de Juifs de France; Council for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Jews from Germany; Jewish Agency; Jewish Labor Committee; South African Jewish Board of Deputies; World Jewish Congress; Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland, and American Zionist Council.
Voting against on this issue was the Agudath Israel World Organization. Abstaining were the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Synagogue Council of America. The two members of the Conference which were absent from today’s session were the Delegation of Jewish Associations of Argentina and the Jewish War Veterans of the United States.
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany was formed here last October for the purpose of pressing for maximum restitution to Israel and to the Jewish people of property looted and destroyed by the Nazi regime. At the same time, the Conference set up a small executive committee of 12 members, chosen as individuals rather than as organization representatives, and a policy committee consisting of one representative of each of the member organizations.
DR. GOLDMANN URGES PREPAREDNESS TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH GERMANY
Today’s session of the policy committee, at which Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Jewish Agency in New York, presided, was the first it has held since the Conference was inaugurated. Opening the session, Dr. Goldmann declared:
“The first problem to be decided by this policy committee is the question of direct negotiations with Germany. As you know, we have delayed taking a formal position on this matter until such time as Israel could reach a decision. Last week the Israel Knesseth and its Foreign Affairs Committee authorized their Government to deal directly with the Germans.
“We must now make our decision. In my opinion, the only way open to us for satisfaction of our just claims and demands is to be prepared to deal directly with the Germans. Suggestions that the United Nations, or any other body, would or could undertake the task of ‘go-between’ are unrealistic and impractical.
“The second problem confronting this session involves the character of the claims. It is clear that, in addition to the $1,500,000,000 claim which the Israel Government has made upon Germany on the basis of the cost to her of rehabilitating surviving victims of Nazism, we must press also for the satisfaction of other claims against Germany in respect to individuals, successor organizations and others.
FORESEES TWO NEGOTIATING GROUPS; TALKS TO BE HELD IN “NEUTRAL” SPOT
“There is, for instance, the problem of pressing for full implementation of the principle of individual restitution and indemnification for Jewish victims of Nazism. Additionally, this conference must press for the restitution by the Federal German Government of heirless and other unclaimed property taken or destroyed by the Naziregime. Where no legal heirs survive, it is clear that justice demands that restitution be made to bodies representative of the Jewish people.
“The third problem facing this conference concerns procedures to be adopted should we agree to deal directly with the Germans. It appears that two negotiating groups would be necessary-one representing the Government of Israel and the other representing this Conference. But it is clear that the two delegations would have to act in closest co-ordination.
“If the negotiations take place, they should be held in some ‘neutral’ spot outside of Germany. I have no reason to think that the Germans would object to such a procedure, and in any case, we should insist upon it.”
Dr. Maurice L. Perlzweig, speaking in behalf of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, reaffirmed that body’s unequivocal support of the Israeli claim against Germany and its belief in the need for the continued existence of the conference on Jewish claims but stated that the Executive Council was opposed to direct negotiations with Germany on the grounds that every other avenue of approach has not yet been exhausted. Dr. Perlzweig, who personally is in favor of direct negotiations out of the belief that no other practical method of securing the Israeli claim is available, abstained from casting a ballot in the name of the Executive Council on the question of direct negotiations.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
