Discussion of German reparations to Israel was resumed here today between the Israeli and West German delegates following the latter’s return from Bonn where they hold consultations with their government. However, the meeting today lasted only one hour after which the Israeli delegation declared that the talks “have reached a critical and serious point” and that the negotiations are “now at a standstill.”
“We have been told that the Germans are not ready to give an immediate answer to our claims,” a spokesman for the Israelis said after the meeting. “As far as we are concerned, there is no subject for discussion except the central subject of the sum we asked for. Discussions are, therefore, halted until the Germans give us a definite answer–and we will not wait indefinitely.”
When asked to comment upon the Israeli statement, the German delegation stated: “The Israeli report is correct in content. The German delegation agrees that the conference must not drag on. The standstill in the discussions is only for technical reasons–because the German delegation needs two more days for discussion with the delegation representing organizations outside of Israel. Then the German delegation will be in a position to make known its answer to both groups. There is no basis for pessimism. In fact, we are optimistic.”
GERMANS PROMISE ANSWER “EARLY NEXT WEEK”
Professor Franz Bochm, head of the German delegation, further stated that his group will be ready with an answer in the “early part of next week.” He said that the bomb which was sent to his delegation earlier this week has aroused interest in the German-Israeli talks and good wishes for the success of these negotiations among Germans who were until now apathetic as far as the discussions were concerned. He revealed that he had received many messages since the bomb incident wishing him success in his mission. He mentioned messages from the German Law Association and from the Students’ Parliament in Frankfurt.
(The New York Herald Tribune today reported from Bonn that Government circles there stated that an official West German statement on the restitution talks at The Hague may be expected “before Easter.” The New York Times reported that opposition to a settlement at this time of the claims presented by Israel and the Jewish groups from other countries has developed on the German side, notably among financial authorities led by Herman Abs, delegate to the London conference on German external debts).
This afternoon the German delegation met in plenary session with the representatives of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. A statement on the progress of the negotiations between these two groups is expected tomorrow.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
