According to a report by the US State Department, Poland is the only country in the European Union that has not conducted an investigation into the restitution of Jewish property • "States must act"

• Poland is the only country that has not acted to restore Jewish property

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After four months of procrastination, tonight (Wednesday) the US State Department published the first report examining the restitution of Jewish property looted during the Holocaust or the payment of compensation for them, in accordance with the "Terezin Decision" adopted by 47 countries in 2009.

The report, entitled The Just Act, provoked much political tension between the United States and Poland, and its publication was rejected - in part, so as not to affect the Polish presidential election campaign in the face of the country's far-right attempts to use the report to slam the Conservative government.

The report clearly states that Poland is the only member state of the European Union that has not passed legislation on the restitution of stolen property from Nazi times or during the communist regime. However, it is noted that in the area of ​​commitment to the preservation of Holocaust remembrance and financial support for Holocaust survivors even outside Poland, Poland can serve as an example to other countries.

The Special Envoy for Holocaust Affairs in the US administration, Sherry Daniels, stressed that talks between Washington and Warsaw regarding the completion of legislation on the return of Jewish property continue.

Daniels, who heads the team that prepared the report, noted that all European countries can do more about implementing the "Terezin Declaration" decisions in the following areas: locating stolen property and returning it directly or through monetary compensation; Locating and returning stolen works of art; Activities to commemorate Holocaust victims and formulate curricula in the field; And an action for the welfare of Holocaust survivors who are still alive.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mike Pompeo commented on the contents of the report, noting that "The countries that signed the Terezin Declaration must work harder to compensate the last Holocaust survivors and allow them to live their last years with dignity." "After Israel".

"As the report states, Jewish survivors and communities continue to wait for justice following the theft of their property," said Gideon Taylor, chairman of ILAR. "Even in these difficult days, states need to fulfill their commitment and address the material injustices of the Holocaust, when survivors are still alive.

" "We are proud of the work that our ILR partner organizations do in the field on a daily basis to assist Holocaust survivors and other needy people during this crisis."