A damage claim was filed in Haifa District Court today against former Gestapo Col. Adolf Eichmann, now held in Israel, which was viewed as a possible legal basis for claims from West Germany which could total billions of dollars.
Attorney Shmuel Tamir filed the claim on behalf of Joseph Mandel, formerly of Hungary and now a Swiss citizen who is currently in Israel. The claim asks 1,500 Israeli pounds ($800) in damages for property of Mr. Mandel’s parents stolen by the Nazis in Hungary. The suit also asked the court for an official declaration that all properties of Jews requisitioned in Hungary during the Nazi period is now in the West German Republic. Such a declaration, if approved by the court, could be the legal basis for wide spread filing of claims against West Germany.
Mr. Mandel was one of those who negotiated with Eichmann, the executioner of Hitler’s program of extermination of 6,000,000 European Jews, to save Hungarian Jewry, Mr. Mandel argued that although Eichmann was given 250,000 Swiss frames, he did nothing and stole the entire sum, which included a substantial sum of Mr. Mandel’s own money.
The presentation of the claim was made while jurists of the Israel Ministry of Justice were still preparing legislation to prevent lodging of civil claims against Eichmann, who is awaiting trial on March 15 for his war crimes against Jews. It appeared that it would be difficult to make the law retroactive to cover claims filed before its passage.
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