The United States supports nations for Holocaust reparations

WASHINGTON – The United States is criticizing a number of Eastern and Central European nations, including Poland, for failing to compensate Holocaust victims and their families and communities for properties seized during Nazi occupation during World War II, as the number of survivors decreases due to age.

In a report released Wednesday, the State Department called on Bosnia, Belarus, Ukraine, and especially Poland, to act on the return request. Croatia, Latvia and Russia also took office in the report, which is likely to draw angry responses from identified governments.

“A lot of time has passed and the need for action is urgent,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a 200-page forward-looking report that looks at data from 46 countries in fulfilling their commitments to return in 2009.

The report was due for release in March but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and concerns it could spur anti-Semitism during the economic downturn caused by the outbreak.

“As we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, the legacy of the mass looting of the Nazis remains in many countries and largely undisturbed,” he said. “Given the advanced era of Holocaust survivors, many of whom live in poverty, the findings of this report serve as a reminder that countries need to act with a greater sense of urgency to secure restitution or compensation for property. mistakenly captured by Holocaust victims and other victims of Nazi persecution. “

The report cited “bureaucratic inertia” for much of the problem that has persisted for generations and in some cases has been exacerbated by a rise in anti-Semitic sentiment across Europe.

The return of, or compensation for, real estate, such as homes, businesses, and places of worship seized during the Nazi occupation, as well as during post-communist rule, is a particular point of concern, especially the return of “headless property” to which has no surviving heirs are identifiable, the report said.

In the looted works of art, the report says five nations – Austria, Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands – had made progress by setting up dispute resolution panels to deal with the claims.

The report was mandated by Congress in a law known as the Uncompensated Survivors Justice Act (JUST), which was signed by President Donald Trump in 2018 with the support of many Jewish lawmakers and groups.

“As the JUST Act report makes clear, Holocaust survivors and Jewish communities continue to seek justice for property that was unjustly taken from them,” said Gideon Taylor, head of operations at the World Organization of Returning Jews. “Even in these difficult times, countries must deliver on their promises to address the material errors of the Holocaust while the survivors are still alive.”

“Return for those individuals whose property was seized during the Holocaust is very late,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. “We must continue to welcome our friends and allies in Europe and make sure that survivors are provided with the justice they deserve and are able to live their days in dignity.”

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin agreed, saying: “By emphasizing this issue as a priority of American foreign policy and acknowledging that there is still more work to be done, we will push for further action in countries that are not under their obligations to bring justice to Holocaust survivors, victims and their families. “