The Jerusalem Post
By Gil Shefler
After years of delays Lithuania officially passed a law =
on=20
Wednesday that will give the local Jewish community $52 =
million in=20
return for communal property lost or confiscated during and =
after=20
World War II.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said the =
ratification=20
of the bill approved in principle last summer acknowledged =
the=20
suffering of the country=92s Jewish community decimated =
during the=20
Holocaust.
=93These decisions are needed for all of us, needed for =
historic=20
justice, and by doing this we have made a huge step forward =
to=20
assuming our moral responsibility for history, sometimes =
difficult=20
and tragic history,=94 Kubilius was quoted as saying.
The vast majority of the country=92s estimated 220,000 =
Jews were=20
murdered by the Nazis and their Lithuanian collaborators =
during=20
World War II.
Kubilius said the money will go towards supporting =
community=20
centers, schools and other projects catering to the =
country=92s=20
remaining 4,000 Jews.
Rabbi Andrew Baker, director of International Jewish =
Affairs for=20
the American Jewish Committee, who was deeply involved in=20
negotiations with the Lithuanian government, said he =
=93wholeheartedly=20
commended=94 the government for reaching its decision even =
though it=20
was not the deal he initially hoped for.
=93There=92s a good side and a bad side,=94 he said. =
=93The law we wanted=20
would have resulted in a more substantial value being =
restituted or=20
paid but it would have been a longer process.=94
Baker said the first of the payments spread over 10 years =
will be=20
used in part to compensate Holocaust survivors in the =
country.
But Efraim Zuroff, Israeli director of the Simon =
Wiesenthal=20
Center, was deeply critical of the deal, and accused the =
government=20
of intentionally ignoring the issue for years and paying =
nine times=20
less than the worth of Jewish assets lost.
=93This is a very bad deal but at least it=92s =
something,=94 he said.=20
=93Unfortunately, the passage of the law was delayed for =
years during=20
which most of the survivors passed away.=94
Zuroff excoriated Baker personally for his part in =
reaching the=20
agreement, saying the AJC official had been too =
accommodating=20
towards the Lithuanians.
Baker responded to Zuroff=92s accusations saying the =
agreement was=20
the best that could be brokered at this time given the =
complexity of=20
evaluating and returning Jewish property.
=93This was not ideal,=94 he said, =93but it=92s easy to =
stand on the=20
outside and criticize and Mr. Zuroff has done that =
[for] many=20
years.=94
The $52 million in compensation is in return for =
destroyed=20
community assets like synagogues, schools and cemeteries. =
Private=20
Jewish property, however, remains unaddressed, Baker =
said.
=93Those Jews living in Lithuania received something,=94 =
he said.=20
=93Some claims of those living abroad have not been =
addressed.=94
He said destroyed or appropriated private property was a =
more=20
thorny issue and that most countries in Eastern Europe have =
still=20
not fully solved it.