The West German-Israel reparations pact is expected to come to the floor of the Lower House of the Bonn Parliament for its final reading this Wednesday. The Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee this week end approved the pact unanimously, it was learned today.
Dr. M. Kirschberg, a Jewish opponent of the Israel reparations treaty, who claims to head an organization of 77 local branches dedicated to obtaining a settlement for individual Jews rather than Israel, was reported here today to be in contact with a Dr. Hamui, press attache of the Syrian embassy in Bonn. Investigation proved that the organization headed by Dr. Kirschberg, the “Jewish Association for the Protection of Restitution Claimants,” is unknown either in West Germany or Switzerland, where he says he now resides.
It is reported that Dr. Kirschberg, who lobbied against the Israel settlement, has been staying in Dr. Hamui’s home. Of the impressive membership he claimed, only Dr. Kirschberg and a non-Jewish attorney named Dahms could be located. Until recently Dr. Kirschberg was effective in his fight against the reparations pact, reaching many Germans who were impressed by his being Jewish, yet opposing the Israel settlement. Even the Frankfurt Allgemeine, Germany’s most influential daily, gave a sympathetic account of his plan for restitution on its front page under the heading–“A Jewish Proposal.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
