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Betraying the Trust: Israel, Europe and Restitution after the Holocaust
Series: - Brill's Series in Jewish Studies, Volume: 79
Author:
This book describes and analyzes the full scope of Holocaust restitution, starting in 1943 before the end of WWII, and ending in 2023. Thematically, it covers what was attempted and what was achieved in all main areas of Holocaust restitution during this period. It is the first updated estimate of what is at stake in Holocaust restitution, and it defines the time boundaries of the time-waves in Holocaust restitution and their aftermath. All this, done with a host of previously unpublished primary sources, interviews, and with the help of accurate methodology, enabled critical examination, and offers ground-breaking proposals for redress.
Aharon Mor is an Israeli scholar and former government official who has spent over twenty-five years formulating policy and critically analyzing how to return what has been stolen from the Jews of Europe. Founder of the Israeli working group on Holocaust restitution.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue: Lost Memories
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 Definitions
2 What Is at Stake in Shoah Restitution?
3 Data
4 Interviews
5 Disclosure
6 The Waves of Shoah Restitution and Their Outcomes
7 Conclusion
8 The First Wave of Shoah Restitution (1943–1969)
9 Successor Organizations in West Germany
10 1952 Luxemburg Agreement between Israel and West Germany
11 The Missing One-Third of the Shoah Reparation Agreement
12 Shoah Rehabilitation
13 Involvement of NGO s in the Shoah Reparation Agreement
Part 1
The Second Wave of Shoah Restitution (1990–2016)
Introduction to Part 1
1 Israel’s Proxy: the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO)
1 Conflicting Narratives
2 Structure, Responsibilities, and Budget
3 Budgetary Limitations
2 The WJRO People
3 The Politics of Restitution
1 Who Leads Shoah Restitution?
2 The Israeli Government’s Involvement in Shoah Restitution
3 The WJRO’s Relations with the US
4 The WJRO’s Relations with Other Sovereign States and Their Jewish Communities
5 Conclusion
4 International Conferences
1 Conferences during President Bill Clinton’s Presidency
2 Conferences during President George W. Bush’s Presidency
3 Conferences during President Barack Obama’s Presidency
4 Conferences during President Donald Trump’s Presidency
5 Conferences during President Joe Biden’s Presidency
6 What Did the Shoah Restitution Conferences Accomplish?
5 Retrieving Nazi-Looted Art
1 Conclusion
6 Financial Settlements: Swiss Banks, Insurance Policies
1 The Swiss Banks’ Negotiations
2 The Insurance Policies Settlement
3 Conclusion
7 Israel’s Lost Opportunities: ESLI and Project HEART
1 European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI)
2 The Closure of ESLI
3 Comparison between ESLI and the WJRO
4 Holocaust-Era Asset Restitution Taskforce (HEART)
Part 2
The Third Wave of Shoah Restitution
Introduction to Part 2
8 Lessons from the Second Wave
1 The Shoah Restitution Movement’s Contribution to Humankind
9 The Vatican and the Eight Countries Where Shoah Restitution Is Most Needed
1 The Vatican (Holy See)
2 Germany
3 Poland
4 Hungary
5 Romania
6 France
7 Czech Republic
8 Austria
9 Slovakia
10 The WJRO and Settlements in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic
11 Norway
12 Conclusion
10 The Third Wave Mission
1 Israel as Leader of Shoah Restitution
2 Israel’s Partners
3 Achieving Full Shoah Restitution
4 Creating a Timeframe for Shoah Restitution
5 Organizational Restructuring
6 Target Countries
7 Successful Shoah Restitution Models
8 Multinational Restitution of Nazi-Looted Art
9 Supportive Environment
10 Amending the UN Genocide Convention
11 Conclusion: Potential Gains of a Third Wave
Epilogue: Impact of October 7, 2023 War
Appendix 1: Timeline
Appendix 2: Recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States and Staff Report, December 2000
Appendix 3: Holocaust Era Asset Restitution Taskforce (Project HEART)
Select Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
Prologue: Lost Memories
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 Definitions
2 What Is at Stake in Shoah Restitution?
3 Data
4 Interviews
5 Disclosure
6 The Waves of Shoah Restitution and Their Outcomes
7 Conclusion
8 The First Wave of Shoah Restitution (1943–1969)
9 Successor Organizations in West Germany
10 1952 Luxemburg Agreement between Israel and West Germany
11 The Missing One-Third of the Shoah Reparation Agreement
12 Shoah Rehabilitation
13 Involvement of NGO s in the Shoah Reparation Agreement
Part 1
The Second Wave of Shoah Restitution (1990–2016)
Introduction to Part 1
1 Israel’s Proxy: the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO)
1 Conflicting Narratives
2 Structure, Responsibilities, and Budget
3 Budgetary Limitations
2 The WJRO People
3 The Politics of Restitution
1 Who Leads Shoah Restitution?
2 The Israeli Government’s Involvement in Shoah Restitution
3 The WJRO’s Relations with the US
4 The WJRO’s Relations with Other Sovereign States and Their Jewish Communities
5 Conclusion
4 International Conferences
1 Conferences during President Bill Clinton’s Presidency
2 Conferences during President George W. Bush’s Presidency
3 Conferences during President Barack Obama’s Presidency
4 Conferences during President Donald Trump’s Presidency
5 Conferences during President Joe Biden’s Presidency
6 What Did the Shoah Restitution Conferences Accomplish?
5 Retrieving Nazi-Looted Art
1 Conclusion
6 Financial Settlements: Swiss Banks, Insurance Policies
1 The Swiss Banks’ Negotiations
2 The Insurance Policies Settlement
3 Conclusion
7 Israel’s Lost Opportunities: ESLI and Project HEART
1 European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI)
2 The Closure of ESLI
3 Comparison between ESLI and the WJRO
4 Holocaust-Era Asset Restitution Taskforce (HEART)
Part 2
The Third Wave of Shoah Restitution
Introduction to Part 2
8 Lessons from the Second Wave
1 The Shoah Restitution Movement’s Contribution to Humankind
9 The Vatican and the Eight Countries Where Shoah Restitution Is Most Needed
1 The Vatican (Holy See)
2 Germany
3 Poland
4 Hungary
5 Romania
6 France
7 Czech Republic
8 Austria
9 Slovakia
10 The WJRO and Settlements in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic
11 Norway
12 Conclusion
10 The Third Wave Mission
1 Israel as Leader of Shoah Restitution
2 Israel’s Partners
3 Achieving Full Shoah Restitution
4 Creating a Timeframe for Shoah Restitution
5 Organizational Restructuring
6 Target Countries
7 Successful Shoah Restitution Models
8 Multinational Restitution of Nazi-Looted Art
9 Supportive Environment
10 Amending the UN Genocide Convention
11 Conclusion: Potential Gains of a Third Wave
Epilogue: Impact of October 7, 2023 War
Appendix 1: Timeline
Appendix 2: Recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States and Staff Report, December 2000
Appendix 3: Holocaust Era Asset Restitution Taskforce (Project HEART)
Select Bibliography
Index
Academic institutes, (post-graduate) students, libraries, teachers, public policy decision-makers in the governmental and non-governmental levels, Holocaust survivors and their heirs. In areas of history, Jewish studies, NGOs, international relations, political science.