Departure of the German delegation late last night for consultations with the West German Government marked the end of the first stage of the negotiations on reparations claims made against Germany by the State of Israel and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
The Germans were expected back here tonight or tomorrow with concrete proposals in response to the claim for one billion dollars made by the State of Israel and the claim for 500 million dollars filed by the Jewish conference.
An Israel delegation spokesman said today that by late yesterday afternoon, the discussion had reached a stage where there was nothing left to discuss except the sum itself.
ISRAELIS PRESSED GERMANS FOR DEFINITE OFFER
“We have made it very clear to the Germans,” he said, “that the Israel delegation is interested in continuous, undelayed progress. We have no desire to debate indefinite offers but wanted a concrete offer from them. They felt they could not make a concrete proposal without consulting with their government first. While no time limit was set, the two delegations agreed that the German answer would be made within the next few days.”
It was made clear here today that discussions of the sum Germany would pay Israel in settlement of Israel’s claims for compensation for expenditures in resettling victims of Nazism would not finish the work of the present conference but would represent a ‘cross-roads’.
“Once the question of the sum is settled, there remain to be settled the time of payment and the method of payment,” the spokesman declared. “Further developments depend now on the answer the Germans bring back from Bonn and whether the Israel claim is accepted.”
SPOKESMAN PRAISES GERMAN GOODWILL IN TALKS
The spokesman ascribed the speed and expedition with which the first stage of the talks was completed to two factors. The first, he said, was that the Israeli delegation arrived so well prepared for the talks that what would have required three weeks to clarify was cleared up in less than two. This, he said, was largely due
The second factor, the spokesman said, was the goodwill shown by the German delegation in their evident desire to keep things moving. “We set the pace, but the Germans kept up with us and made no move which would in any way tend to hold up or delay the talks,” the Israeli spokesman commented.
CONFERENCE CLAIMS REVIEWED IN PLENARY SESSION
Prior to their departure for Bonn, the German representative met with the delegation of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany in a plenary session which reviewed the report of the joint sub-committee.
“We know exactly where we stand now,” a Conference spokesman explained. “We have outlined our points of agreement and disagreement and clarified our claims. The first stage of our discussions is also finished and we must now await the return of the Germans from Bonn.”
The conference delegation made it clear today that it was not making claims in behalf of citizens of countries which are party to reparations agreements made with Germany in 1945.
“In France, for instance,” a spokesman explained, “we cannot presume to speak for those Jews who are French citizens as they are covered by their government. The large number of Jews in France who are not French citizens, however, will be benefitted by the new or improved legislation that may be brought about as a result of these discussions.”
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.
