The Jewish Agency executive convened here today under the chairmanship of Dr. Nahum Goldmann to hear a report on the results of his negotiations with the Vienna Government on restitution to Austrian victims of Nazi persecution. Dr. Goldmann noted that the overwhelming majority of organizations of Jews of Austrian origin had accepted the agreement with the Austrian Government, feeling that it was the best that could have been achieved.
Dr. Goldmann also announced that there were good chances that the Swiss Parliament would pass a law enabling receipt by Jewish organizations of bank accounts deposited in Switzerland by European Jews before the Second World War and in the early years of the war, and which became heirless property when the owners fell victim to Nazi persecution.
He said such a law would probably release those accounts which have been inactive since 1940. The Jewish leader also reported on an agreement reached with the West German Finance Ministry over the payment of compensation to those Jewish victims of Nazism who left Eastern Europe after 1953.
The executive also discussed the situation of the Zionist organization of France. It was decided to make an effort to establish a broad confederation of all Zionist parties and non-Zionist organizations in France. A foundation conference for such a confederation will be held in Paris in the near future.
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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.