Jewish organizations demanding reparations from Germany will hold their second international conference in New York on January 20, it was announced here today by a Jewish Agency spokesman.
At the same time, it was indicated here that the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Israeli Parliament will meet early next week to make a final decision on the manner in which Israel will approach Germany on the $1,500,000,000 in reparations claimed by the Jewish State. The Foreign Affairs Committee was given a free hand yesterday by the Parliament to take any action it sees fit in connection with the proposal of the Israel Cabinet for direct negotiations with Germany.
The Jewish Agency spokesman revealed that 700,000,000 deutschemarks had been received in reparations claims from the states in the American zone of Germany by individual claimants. Some 20,000 claims have been filed by Israeli residents alone, he said, adding that 30,000,000 deutschemarks were paid to Israeli residents from the American zone.
He also disclosed that 31,500,000 deutschemarks had been paid out in restitution of Jewish public property in West Germany and that claims for another 120,000,000 are yet to be submitted in this category.
EXTREMISTS IN ISRAEL THREATEN TO BURN GERMAN GOODS
Meanwhile, it was announced here that over 200 of the 410 Israelis detained following the demonstration and riot in front of Parliament Monday in protest against direct negotiations with Germany, have been released. A total of 188 still face charges of organizing unlawful demonstrations and causing public disturbances. All of them have been remanded for ten days to permit the police authorities to prepare more detailed charges against each of the defendants.
The evening newspaper Yedioth Achronoth, quoting “informed sources,” today reports that Irgun and Stern Group members who claim adherence to no political parties have warned that they will “wipe out” every German official or private person who visits Israel. They have also threatened to burn all German goods arriving in Israel, the same sources said.
Eight Germans with passports issued by the Bonn Government today passed through the Lydda airport en route to the Far East. No arrests were made because none of the eight were on the official Israeli “wanted persons” list. However, they remained isolated since no one would speak to them.
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.
