Israel satisfied with outcome of Holocaust Era Assets Conference

A new institute was set up in Terezin to follow up on the progress of
property restitution, Holocaust education, and the fight against
antisemitism.
(Communicated by the MFA Spokesman's Bureau)July 01, 2009

The Holocaust Era Assets Conference, which convened in Prague on June 26-30,
held its final session at the Terezin concentration camp. There, on Tuesday
morning, June 30, the Terezin Declaration was presented.

The Israeli delegation expressed satisfaction with the results of the
conference and the concluding statement, which summed up the various working
group discussions held during the conference.

The declaration established norms for the restoration of private and
communal property and mentioned for the first time the need to deal with
property without heirs, tying this to the need to look out for the welfare
of surviving Holocaust victims.

At the conference it was decided that a new institute - the European Shoah
Legacy Institute - would be set up in Terezin by the Czech government,
outgoing President of the European Union, under the auspices of the EU. The
new institute will be assisted by the European community and other states,
with the US and Israel playing a major role. The institute will follow up on
activities relating to Holocaust assets, education and the fight against
antisemitism.

Five Holocaust survivors, who formed the central component of the Israeli
delegation, participated in the discussions and featured prominently in the
working groups. One of the objectives presented by the deputy delegation
leader, former director general of the Foreign Ministry Reuven Merhav, was
to boost the status of the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO),
headed by David Peleg as director general. Peleg, who until recently was
Israel's ambassador to Poland, presented a working plan at the conference in
which the organization plays a major role in the process of property
restitution.

The head of the Israeli delegation, Minister of Information and Diaspora
Affairs Yuli Edelstein, who was the first delegation head to speak at the
plenary session, was received warmly by the large audience. In his address,
Minister Edelstein stressed the moral obligation of the 46 states that
signed the Terezin Declaration. He noted that, at this late stage, it is
important to move quickly. The minister expressed commitment, on behalf of
the Government of Israel, to participate and support the Terezin Institute