Today, despite the efforts of many, some of those assets have yet to be turned over to their rightful owners. The time is long overdue for justice to be done.
For some 50 years, Holocaust survivors and their families have sought to resolve this issue, which continues the pain and injustice of a tragic era in world history. We are at a critical juncture, where we have the opportunity to bring some measure of justice to aging Holocaust survivors and to make right one wrong from that era. I am joining in the call for a full-scale effort to finally return these assets to their rightful owners.
The full cooperation of Swiss banks is crucial to a successful effort. Swiss government, banks and businesses have announced they will establish a memorial fund for Holocaust victims. This is a step in the right direction: It is not, however, a real answer to the question of missing funds and assets.
Both houses of the Swiss Parliament have committed to an expedited, full-scale investigation. A commission of independent historians and financial and legal experts is studying the wartime role of Switzerland with Nazi Germany. Swiss banking secrecy laws will be suspended for up to five years to allow this commission better access to banking records.
Despite these efforts, we must continue to press for a satisfactory answer. I am deeply troubled by the recent comments of the Swiss economics minister who charged that demands for restitution are “extortion and blackmail.” Has the economics minister ever suggested that depositors who merely request their rightful deposits are “extorting”?
During a reign of terror, Jews handed Swiss banks their assets and were handed an insult in return. Although recent commitments demonstrate a rejection of such hostile rhetoric, we must continue to be vigilant.
Justice requires an international commitment. Spain, Portugal and Sweden may possess important information. If we are ever to know the truth about where the missing assets are and who made financial gain at the expense of Holocaust victims, an international effort is necessary.
I have written to President Clinton and asked him to do all that he can to move the effort forward. I have asked him to declassify the 50-year-old records of the Tripartite Gold Commission. The Commission was formed by Britain, France and the United States in 1946 to distribute Nazi gold that was seized by Allied forces.
These records should be made available to the public to help determine whether the Nazi-held gold was stolen from Holocaust victims. The United States should ensure that all documents shedding light on this tragic historical chapter are found.
As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I am fully committed to finding the truth. A joint effort among Congress, the White House and international authorities will improve the chances of tracking the assets and locating their rightful owners and heirs.
We must keep the pressure on the international community to see that the ethical and financial obligations to Holocaust survivors and their families are met. The atrocities of Nazi Germany are recorded in our history books, but the string of the financial injustice lives today.
We must do all that we can to bring Holocaust survivors and their families some measure of justice at long last.