22 February 2008
American Holocaust survivors have affirmed their right to pursue restitution claims in "every appropriate venue." In a resolution adopted this week, the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors "reaffirmed its unequivocal support of the absolute right of Holocaust survivors to pursue all claims of moral and material restitution, including property and insurance claims, in every appropriate venue." The resolution is seen by some as support for controversial legislation now under discussion in the US House of Representatives that would pave the way for survivor lawsuits against European insurance companies.
Roman Kent, chairman of the group, testified against the legislation in a recent hearing in Washington. The American Gathering also adopted resolutions establishing a committee to examine the treatment of American Holocaust survivors and endorsing French president Nicholas Sarkozy's recent initiative on Holocaust education. The initiative would match up every French 10 and 11-year-old child with a profile of a Jewish child killed in the Holocaust as a means of educating about the Jews' plight during World War II. Sarkozy’s proposals have come under heavy criticism from Holocaust survivors such as Simone Veil.
