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Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan. (Archives) Power plays delay recovery of Shoah restitution body By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Eitan, Claims Conference  Power struggles between the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan, who was appointed by the government to oversee the issue of Holocaust-era property claims, is delaying the revival of the operation of the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO). WJRO was established in the early 1990s, around the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Iron Curtain, by the Israeli government, the Jewish Agency and the World Jewish Congress. It acted to restore Jewish property in Eastern European countries that was stolen and nationalized during the Holocaust and afterward. For most of its existence, the WJRO chalked up few successes, mainly due to a lack of interest or support on the part of the Israeli government and Jewish organizations. The WJRO lacked the support, resources and personnel necessary to deal with the complex legal issues and the extensive investigations entailed in the restitution process. The Claims Conference, which since 1952 has been charged with transferring compensation payments from the German government to Holocaust survivors, stepped into this vacuum. The mandate of the Claims Conference involves Germany and Austria only, but in recent years its activities have spread to Eastern European states. Advertisement Eitan was appointed last year as point-man for the government on Holocaust-era property restitution. An agreement signed last November between the government and Holocaust survivor organizations stipulated the allocation of NIS 6.5 million to property restitution activities. Eitan now wants to use this money for WJRO activities. He reached an agreement with the World Jewish Congress on the creation of a coordinating committee to supervise WJRO operations. In addition, Eitan wants to replace the current WJRO director, Eli Spanic, who has already effectively resigned his post. Some of the Jewish organizations that belong to the WJRO executive board, including the Claims Conference, object to what they call Eitan's "takeover" of the organization. "Eitan's attempt is not serious," the head of one major Jewish organization said. "In order to succeed in the restitution of property one needs to use all of the professionals who specialize in the field and most of them are in the Claims Conference. He doesn't even have a suitable candidate for the director position." According to another senior official, however, "the Claims Conference is making the most of the trouble, just when there is a final chance to unite all of the forces." "The Claims Conference, like the WJRO, is a technical organization, not a political one," Eitan said to Haaretz in response. They don't understand that they must not interfere in politics. They want to extend the life of the Claims Conference by obtaining responsibility for the restoration of Jewish property in other places," Eitan said. Reuven Merhav, Chairman of the Claims Conference's Executive Committee, said in response, "Eitan made a verbal and written proposal to the WJRO association and executive board. His letter requires consultations among all of the member organizations of the WJRO and to the best of my knowledge, Minister Eitan will soon receive an official and coordinated response to his appeal," Merhav said. 'There were other Holocausts' 'British Oskar Schindler' in running for Nobel peace prize Poland won't sue author of book on post-WWII anti-Semitism Bookmark to del.icio.us   Hezbollah scare Lebanese group's influence has dramatically increased in the West Bank. Literary boycott Peres calls Muslim countries' shunning of Paris Book Fair 'most ridiculous.'

Today Online Abbas accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' in Jerusalem Responses: 218 At least 30 Qassam rockets fired into Israel from Gaza since Wed. Responses: 172 Amira Hass: PA officials should act more like Gandhi Responses: 75 Poll: Half of Jewish public oppose Arabs in their neighborhoods Responses: 127 Wagner show in Nazi-era hall to raise funds for Ramallah venue Responses: 81 More Headlines 22:40 At least 30 Qassam rockets fired into Israel from Gaza since Wed. 22:13 Israel Bank intervenes in foreign currency market, buys dollars 01:35 Israel and France have a second honeymoon as Peres visits Sarkozy 02:39 Deputy TA mayor: Gov't reneges on promise to help refugees 01:01 Police arrest rabbi for 'inciting Palestinians' in East Jerusalem 20:56 Jerusalem yeshiva commemorates 8 students slain in terror attack 19:07 Ban: Israel must halt 'excessive force' against Palestinians 02:22 Jerusalem parents held in suspicion of torturing 3- and 4-year-old boys 02:48 Israel falls behind the times in having woman parliamentarians 22:23 Abbas accuses Israel of committing 'ethnic cleansing' in Jerusalem 00:43 Rubinstein competition / Exalted strokes outweigh the flaws 23:17 Traffic cop jailed for shooting at drivers who refused to pull over 20:38 Two Kiryat Ata men arrested for attacking Arab workers Previous Editions Select Day 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb

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