Planned sanctions against Swiss banks by U.S. state and city financial officials are “illegal,” the Swiss ambassador to the United States, Alfred Defago, told a Swiss newspaper. His comments came as New York City Comptroller Alan Hevesi wrote Switzerland’s point man on Holocaust-restitution issues, Thomas Borer, that Switzerland had “reversed itself” with recent statements that it would not participate in any global settlement of Holocaust-era claims. The letter from Hevesi, who quoted earlier statements by Swiss officials that they would seek justice for Holocaust victims, came after Borer wrote him claiming that Switzerland had never committed itself to participate in a global settlement.
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.
