Political Quotes

“the German Government has long recognized its moral obligation to assist the survivors of the Holocaust. The landmark reparations agreements of the early 1950's between the West German Government and Jewish groups were predicated on this simple premise. Yet, as years go by, it has become increasingly apparent that a large number of survivors, particularly those living in Eastern and Central Europe, were excluded from these agreements and are now being denied assistance on the flimsiest of technical grounds. As a result, in July Senators Graham, Hatch, and Dodd joined me in introducing Senate Concurrent Resolution 39. I am pleased that the Senate will take up this important issue today. The need for such legislation was reinforced only last week. On November 5, Judge Heinz Sonnenberger in Germany upheld just 1 of 22 claims made by a group of Jewish women seeking payment for their work as slave laborers at Auschwitz. The other claims were dismissed by the judge on the grounds that the women had already received compensation under Germany's Federal Compensation Law. This decision represents the German Government's intractable attitude toward survivors of Nazi slave labor, however, it also presents a small window of hope for the survivors of slave labor who until now have been denied compensation by the German Government.”