Israel honored several Americans who spearheaded efforts to pressure Swiss banks to compensate survivors for Holocaust-era dormant accounts. While honoring the Americans, including some strong critics of Switzerland such as Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R-N.Y.) and World Jewish Congress President Edgar Bronfman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also acknowledged the efforts of the Swiss government in bringing about a recent $1.25 billion settlement of claims relating to the accounts. While bitter about the “Conscience and Courage” awards, Swiss officials decided not to cancel Netanyahu’s planned trip to Switzerland next week.
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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.