AJC Welcomes Agreement on French Railway Compensation for Holocaust Survivors

News provided by

Dec 05, 2014, 01:31 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC saluted a milestone agreement between the U.S. and France that will provide compensation to Holocaust survivors who were deported from France by SNCF, the French national railway, and live in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

"The U.S. and French governments have admirably found a solution that will bring a measure of justice to victims of the SNCF deportations," said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC's Director of International Jewish Affairs. Under the agreement, French government funds, totaling $60 million, will be made available and administered by the U.S. government to provide payments to SNCF victims or their heirs.

Baker also praised Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, the State Department's Special Advisor on Holocaust Issues, for his determined role in leading the U.S. negotiating team.

The agreement brings to an end an acrimonious dispute that extended for years. While most French citizens who were victims of the SNCF deportations have long been eligible for compensation, those living in the U.S. and elsewhere after the war were not.

American victims of the deportations unsuccessfully sought to file suit against SNCF in U.S. courts. They then appealed for Congressional legislation that might have opened the door to a court filing, but with the prospect of lengthy litigation and no guarantee of success. When the French Government agreed to address their claims in bilateral negotiations with the United States, the path was set for reaching an agreement.

Baker also commended key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for their interest and involvement, which "surely gave positive impetus to the negotiations."

AJC has been a long-time advocate on behalf of Holocaust victims. After the fall of Communism, AJC spearheaded efforts that led the German government to extend compensation to victims in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. AJC joined with other advocates in pressing Swiss banks and European insurers to make good on claims for dormant accounts and unpaid policies. And AJC's Berlin Office marshaled German public opinion to support the claims of former slave and forced laborers that had been ignored by German industries for decades.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ajc-welcomes-agreement-on-french-railway-compensation-for-holocaust-survivors-300005579.html

SOURCE American Jewish Committee