The Israel Government was sharply criticized in Parliament today for permitting Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, former member of the Hitler Government in Germany, to land in Israel this morning. Herut deputies wanted to know why Dr. Schacht was not arrested as a “war criminal” when he landed at the Lydda airport. The, Speaker of the Parliament promised a reply by the government.
Dr. Schacht landed on a Dutch plane en route from Indonesia to Germany. He spent 30 minutes at the Lydda airport restaurant and was interviewed by reporters. He confirmed that he had collaborated with Hitler for many years, but said he had broken with the Nazis since World War II. “Germany never refused to pay indemnification to war victims and is also prepared to pay it to the Jews.” he stated. “However, the Jews and the Government of Israel must first establish their stand and state their demands. Germany will readily pay according to her possibilities, which, as known, are not large,” he added. He explained that Germany’s financial and economic position is almost hopeless.
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.
