German Chancellery Minister Bodo Hombach told reporters he does not support protection from all future lawsuits.
“It would give the impression that the firms want to avoid their responsibility,” he said.
The new lawsuits include Daimler-Chrysler, Siemens and Krupp. Already, the 12 firms and four banks involved in the compensation fund, including Deutsche Bank, are facing an $18 billion class- action lawsuit that lawyers reportedly would drop if the compensation fund is high enough.
Israel Singer, the World Jewish Congress secretary-general, met here last week with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to discuss snags in setting up the fund.
Singer had expressed optimism that the problems would be resolved, but details of the meeting were not revealed. A final agreement is expected soon, after meetings between Jewish representatives, German business and government leaders and U.S. government officials in New York and Washington.
Much is at stake for some of the firms involved. For example, New York City officials have said they would block the planned takeover of Banker’s Trust by Deutsche Bank until the issue is resolved.
In a separate development, the Cultural Board of the German Parliament announced last week that the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, will decide by early September whether there will be a national Holocaust memorial in Berlin.
The proposal has been discussed for more than 10 years. By most accounts, a majority of Bundestag members favor a memorial but are not pleased with the suggested models.