Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., August 06, 2008 Av 5, 5768 | | Israel Time: 14:55 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 08:17 29/11/2006 Israel, local survivors seek control of Holocaust Claims Conference By Amiram Barkat Israel is trying to gain control over one of the world's richest Jewish organizations, in the name of promoting the welfare of Holocaust survivors. A group of Israeli organizations headed by Minister Rafi Eitan (Pensioners), who holds the Diaspora affairs portfolio, announced this week that Israel wants the right to appoint half the members of the executive of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, a U.S.-based organization that represents world Jewry and Holocaust survivors in their negotiations over reparations from Germany. Eitan estimates the Claims Conference's financial reserves at some $1.7 billion. Every year, the conference gives grants totaling about $90 million to organizations worldwide that help Holocaust survivors or are involved in Holocaust education and memorialization. About half of this money goes to Israeli organizations. Advertisement In addition to the government, the groups backing Eitan's demand include the Jewish Agency, Yad Vashem and Israeli survivors' organizations. All currently receive grants from the Claims Conference, but all would like their allocations increased. At a press conference in Jerusalem earlier this week, Eitan declared: "This money belongs to Holocaust survivors, and it is inconceivable that [people] in the United States should decide how to divvy up this money in Israel." He has asked the cabinet to devote time at its next meeting to approving a list of demands to be submitted to the Claims Conference. Other speakers at the press conference levied a barrage of accusations at the Claims Conference. Noah Flug, who heads the umbrella organization of Israeli Holocaust survivors' associations, complained about the fact that about one-third of Claims Conference grants go to elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union, via the Joint Distribution Committee. This proportion, he charged, is based on inaccurate data about the number of Holocaust survivors still living in those areas. "We have no say in this organization," he complained. "They decide for us and without us." 'Recognize Israel's centrality' Jewish Agency Chair Zeev Bielski complained that the Claims Conference was the only Jewish organization that did not immediately accede to his appeal to help residents of the North following this summer's Lebanon war. "This organization is disconnected from the State of Israel," he charged. "Its members are organizations that existed 50 years ago. The struggle will continue until those people come to the table and recognize Israel's centrality." The Claims Conference indignantly rejected the Israelis' charges yesterday. Attorney Julius Berman, chairman of the organization's board of directors, described the press conference as a "very negative incident." "We're a democratic organization, and there are accepted ways of proposing changes," he told Haaretz during a visit to Sderot, adding that the Israelis would not achieve their goals via this "foolish protest." Berman noted that half the members of the Claims Conference's allocations committee are Holocaust survivors, and one-third are Israeli. However, he added, all committee members are obliged to see to Holocaust survivors' welfare - not just those representing survivors' organizations. Regarding allocations to the former Soviet Union, Berman explained that allocations are determined by the survivors' needs, not by how many there are. As for Bielski's accusations, Berman pointed out that much of what the Jewish Agency chair wanted money for was outside the Claims Conference's mandate. He added he was shocked that Bielski, after having obtained $350 million for northern Israel from other American Jewish organizations, sought to obtain additional sums from Holocaust survivors. The Claims Conference was founded in 1951 at the instigation of the Israeli government, which wanted an organization to represent world Jewry in negotiations with Germany over Holocaust reparations. The organization's executive includes representatives of 23 Jewish organizations, which were chosen by Nahum Goldman, then head of the World Zionist Organization. Eventually, however, Israel and the Claims Conference settled on a division of labor: The former handled negotiations with Germany over global reparations, while the latter dealt with issues such as claims for stolen Jewish property. Official reparations But Israel lost interest in the issue after obtaining $715 million from Germany under a 1952 reparations agreement. Thus it is the Claims Conference that continues to negotiate with Germany over benefits to survivors. Israel's interest in the Claims Conference revived in the late 1990s, when it suddenly became one of the richest Jewish organizations in the world. That happened when a reunified Germany declared the Claims Conference heir to all Jewish property in the former East Germany whose true heirs could not be found. The organization, which had been on the verge of shutting down, suddenly began raking in millions from the sale of these properties. To date, the Claims Conference has won 10,693 suits for the return of Jewish properties in eastern Germany, and its income from the sale of these properties, along with the ongoing reparations payments, is expected to total over $2 billion. The organization has decided that 80 percent of this money will be used to help needy survivors and 20 percent will go toward Holocaust education, documentation and memorialization. The conference also decided that 60 percent of the money would go to organizations in Israel. But in practice, Israeli groups receive only 48 percent of these funds. That is what has prompted several recent Israeli governments to push for more Israeli involvement in the allocation process - thus far, with limited success. Bookmark to del.icio.us   New bestsellers Three children's books about the US presidential race to be published soon. False accusation Pentagon admits it wrongly accused Jewish army engineer of spying for Israel.   1.   Good Idea: Claims Conference are Rude, conceited, overpaid. 08:59  |  Semsem 29/11/06   2.   holocausts and big business 09:02  |  Natallie Durson 29/11/06   3.   Is this the "Shoah industry" ? 09:57  |  Yankelowitz 29/11/06   4.   A curse on both houses 10:30  |  Grif 29/11/06   5.   Claims conference 10:37  |  Robert 29/11/06   6.   how greedy can you be 11:16  |  Charlie 29/11/06   7.   Grif - A plague on both their houses 11:46  |  sh 29/11/06   8.   demanding reparations 12:19  |  vlad 29/11/06   9.   Claims Conference 13:04  |  Usher Buchwalter 29/11/06   10.   Claims Conference 15:01  |  Usher Buchwalter 29/11/06   11.   Good idea... 15:47  |  bat yam 29/11/06   12.   # 9, could not agree more, Claims C.=leeches 15:58  |  Eli 29/11/06   13.   The Zionist Games 17:22  |  Binyomin 29/11/06   14.   Rightful owners first?..! 1 17:29  |  H.H.M 29/11/06   15.   Rightful owners first?..! 2 17:30  |  H.H.M 29/11/06   16.   There`s no business like Shoah business. 18:13  |  John from Canada 29/11/06   17.   Time to shut this thing down 18:20  |  Goldi 29/11/06   18.   Claims Conference 18:28  |  ABCD 29/11/06   19.   ABCD 19:02  |  Goldi 29/11/06   20.   If Fikelstein lies..WJC sue him!!!! 19:27  |  Goldi 29/11/06   21.   claims 20:45  |  catherine 29/11/06   22.   Goldi 21:26  |  ABCD 29/11/06   23.   Catherine 21:38  |  Goldi 29/11/06   24.   Finkesltein states/wjc have not sued? 21:54  |  Lilly 29/11/06   25.   Finkelstein states 2/Still WJC does not sue 21:55  |  Lilly 29/11/06   26.   To # 17 Goldi 00:23  |  Yankelowitz 30/11/06   27.   Yankelowitz#26 01:37  |  Goldi 30/11/06   28.   Lilly #24 and 25 01:59  |  Goldi 30/11/06   29.   Who is "Holocaust survivor" ? 02:01  |  jOZEF KRAUZE 30/11/06   30.   To # 29 Where were the others ?... Doing business ?! :-0) 09:45  |  Yankelowitz 30/11/06   31.   To # 21 Catherine. Forget it, it`s no use 10:05  |  Yankelowitz 30/11/06   32.   Yankelowitz 13:49  |  Goldi 30/11/06   33.   Goldi & Company 18:21  |  ABCD 30/11/06   34.   ABCD 19:23  |  Goldi 30/11/06   35.   Goldi 18:54  |  ABCD 01/12/06

Read & React IAF: Hezbollah anti-aircraft missiles could threaten Israeli planes Responses: 107 ANALYSIS / Iran's real nuclear tactic is to keep buying time Responses: 20 Why did the U.S. turn away Gaza Fulbright scholars? Responses: 43 VIDEO / IDF trains for simultaneous Iran, Syria, Hezbollah missile strikes Responses: 53 Alexander Yakobson: Some police officials are kicking Olmert on his way out the door Responses: 6 More Headlines 11:10 Israeli Arab charged with spying for Hezbollah 14:48 Abbas to demand release of Marwan Barghouti, PFLP head in meeting with Olmert 12:12 Mofaz: Iran is the root of all evil, threat to world peace 10:47 IAF: Hezbollah anti-aircraft missiles could threaten Israeli planes 08:03 ANALYSIS / This time around, Hezbollah is aiming higher 12:21 Israeli TV ad poking fun at oil sheikhs draws Saudi ire 13:43 Congress likely to see record number of Jewish legislators 14:52 PA: Mofaz as head of Kadima would be disaster for peace 13:24 Mauritanian security forces detain president in apparent coup d'etat 13:14 Unkown militants burn down Gaza beach resort and flee 12:24 Haredi MK tapped as candidate for Jerusalem mayor poses 'real test' for secular 12:23 Israel frees 5 Palestinian prisoners in final stage of Hezbollah prisoner exchange 11:48 10-year-olds aren't too young to be brides in Saudi Arabia 13:16 Egypt police shoot dead Sudanese man who tried to sneak into Israel Previous Editions Select Day 05 aug 04 aug 03 aug 01 aug 31 jul 30 jul 29 jul 28 jul 27 jul 25 jul 24 jul 23 jul

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Isaac Maimon at Dreamshoppe Special summer sale. Make an offer now. You will be surprised. MBA in Israel in English APPLY NOW! Limited spaces available Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved