Jews rounded up by Nazis, Wroclawek, 1942“The escalation of demands does not help in the creation of a political climate needed to pass an anti-discrimination, re-privatisation law,” declared Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radek Sikorski, commenting on the appeal of Jewish organizations for the return property confiscated under Nazi occupation in Poland from heirless victims during the Holocaust.
During the Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conference, which ended June 30, representatives from 46 states, together with experts and non-governmental organizations discussed the welfare of Holocaust survivors and victims as well as issues of education, remembrance and research connected with the Holocaust.
“Although, formally the Czechs were hosting the meeting, it was dominated by a group of American lawyers, hired by Jewish organizations,” says Auschwitz survivor Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, the Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s plenipotentiary for international affairs, who represented Poland during the conference.
Representatives of Jewish organizations demanded that Poland returns property of the heirless victims of the Holocaust. The property, worth billion of dollars would go to a fund aiming to help Holocaust survivors and their families.
Bartoszewski, however, argued that according to Polish law, all property belonging to a person who dies heirless, and does not leave a will, becomes the possession of the state, no matter what nationality that person is.
“If we would treat Jews as special cases, it would be discrimination against the rest of Polish citizens,” Bartoszewski said.
Jews and non-Jewish citizens in Poland lost property to the communists after W II.
A compromise was forged at the conference, and the Terezin Declaration, signed by 46 states including Poland says:
”We note that in some states heirless property could serve as a basis for addressing the material necessities of needy Holocaust (Shoah) survivors and to ensure ongoing education about the Holocaust (Shoah), its causes and consequences.“
However, Jewish leaders declared that they will continue put pressure on Poland, the only country in Central Europe to have yet to deal with the issue.
(jg/pg)
Source:
PAP, Rzeczpospolita
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