The German government and the Claims Conference organization will mark today (Wednesday) the 70th anniversary of the signing of the reparations agreements, and will announce the expansion of the aid frameworks that Berlin provides to Holocaust survivors.
The conference announced that as part of the annual negotiations, the government in Berlin agreed to expand the circle of Holocaust survivor populations entitled to home nursing hours. Starting in January 2023, the budget for home nursing hours for Holocaust survivors who depend on these services around the world will increase by 130 million euros. Of this amount, 60 million will be invested A euro to increase the Israeli budget for domestic assistance services, which will allow more survivor groups to receive the service.
170 million euros will be allocated for a distress fund which the parties have signed for the third year.
This amount will affect approximately 143,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide, of which approximately 81,000 are in Israel.
These survivors will be entitled to a grant of 1,200 euros for 2023.
It was also agreed in the annual negotiations between the Claims Conference and the German government on emergency aid in the amount of 12 million dollars for 8,500 survivors who fled Ukraine due to the war. The distribution of payments is expected to begin this year.
For the first time, an agreement was signed to finance education on the subject of the Holocaust in the amount of 25 million euros for 2023, 30 million euros for 2024, and 35 million for 2025.
The total amount reached in negotiations with the German government for home care and compensation for Holocaust survivors living around the world is about 1.2 billion euros.
Annual negotiation
The event to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the agreements will be held at the Jewish Museum in Berlin in the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Schulz, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, President of the World Claims Conference Gideon Taylor, Social Equality Minister Merav Cohen and dozens of Holocaust survivors.
On September 10, 1952, groundbreaking agreements were signed at the Luxembourg City Hall between the Claims Conference, established by 23 Jewish organizations, and the West German government, and between the State of Israel and the West German government.
The agreements determined the reparations for the survivors of the Nazi persecutions in World War II and the reparations to the State of Israel.
Shultz and Lapid, photo: Kobi Gideon / L.A.M
The agreements formed the basis for an annual negotiation that took place from then until today between the Claims Conference and the German government and yielded compensations totaling approximately 90 billion dollars for survivors worldwide.
The president of the conference, Gideon Taylor, who will participate in the ceremony, told "Israel Hayom" that the Luxembourg agreements were unprecedented in terms of international law and international politics.
"They made it possible to open a dialogue and change the relationship between Germany, Israel and the Jewish people, so it is important to gather together and recognize this," said Taylor.
"At the time, the reparations agreement was not intended to be a final settlement regarding the payments from the German side. It was only the beginning of a process. Some opposed the signing of the agreements, and some said that this was only an initial step that does not absolve Germany of overall responsibility. This initial step led to reparations plans, of which there were many Wider than the amount initially planned. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, another negotiation began on a compensation fund and property restitution.
Home care for elderly survivors was not part of the initial agreement and became part of the negotiations."
Taylor also pointed out that "the importance of the Luxembourg agreements is measured in financial terms, but also in historical terms with regard to the recognition of German responsibility for the terrible things that were committed, and this is also important for the survivors of the Holocaust, approximately 280,000 of whom are still living today around the world."
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