Holocaust survivors might receive less than expected from Bank Leumi

The Israeli Bank Leumi will pay Holocaust victims or their heirs an amount between US$ 8 million and 67 million, far less than originally thought, according to the final version of the draft report of a Knesset committee. The newspaper 'Ha'aretz' reports in today's edition that the panel has apparently bowed to many of Leumi's demands. According to figures obtained by Ha'aretz, the accounting firm which conducted the probe on behalf of the committee found that around 2,500 accounts with assets of US$ 158 million had been deposited by Holocaust victims in Leumi. However, the bank would be instructed to pay far less than this amount since the committee would make two major changes to the report as a result of being lobbied by the bank, Ha'aretz writes.