Holocaust Reparations May Be Forthcoming

Holocaust victims and their heirs could soon see $275 million under an agreement signed by an international commission established in 1998 to settle insurance claims with German and other European companies.

The agreement provides funds for claims, claims-related expenses and humanitarian programs that benefit Holocaust survivors.

Lawrence S. Eagleburger, a former secretary of State who chaired the International Commission of Holocaust-Era Insurance Claims, described the agreement he and three German representatives signed as “a major step forward” for survivors and their heirs.

“We have had our difficulties but today we have a new beginning for people to pursue their valid claims,” Eagleburger said in a reference to two years of often contentious negotiations.

Israel Singer, chairman of the World Jewish Congress, which helped negotiate the accord, said the settlement process now was moving “from hope to implementation.... The German government stands behind this agreement and that’s what’s changed.”