Israel Govt. Considers Request for Postponement of Eichmann Trial

The Israel Ministry of Justice said today it would reply within a few days to the request of Adolf Eichmann’s defense counsel for a two-week postponement of the date of the Nazi’s trial. Approval of the request was considered inevitable.

Dr. Robert Servatius asked for the postponement on grounds he needed more time to prepare his defense of the former Gestapo colonel who directed the extermination of 6,000,000 European Jews. Since Passover begins on April 1, it was likely that the trial, originally set for March 15, would be rescheduled to open April 9 at the close of the holiday period.

The decision on postponement probably would rest with the trial court which is expected to be named within the next few days. Supreme Court Justice Moshe Landau, the youngest judge of the high court, was expected to be named to preside at the trial.

Meanwhile, minutes of the trial involving Dr. Rudolph Kastner, the assassinated leader of Hungarian Jewry, and a book by Joel Brandt, who negotiated unsuccessfully with Eichmann in an effort to obtain a release of some of the Hungarian Jews from the Nazis, were handed over to Eichmann in his jail cell in connection with the preparations for his defense. The Brandt memoirs included details on the offer by Eichmann of 1,000,000 Jews for 10,000 trucks.

(From Bonn it was reported today that West Germany would allow IIse Koch, the imprisoned “Witch of Buchenwald,” to serve as a witness at the forthcoming Eichmann trial if Israel asks for her. A spokesman for the West German Ministry added that Israel had not approached the Bonn Government on the matter but explained that “we wish to give all the assistance we can and if a request is made, I am sure it will be granted.”)