Today I have something here for you I want to offer without any comment whatsoever, but I would like to invite you to respond and analyze. I found it in a full page Arizona Jewish Post advertisement, August 13, 1999, but I understand it ran in various other Jewish publications. It is titled
Legal Notice by Order of the Court
To victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs who may have claims against Swiss banks or other Swiss entities relating to the Holocaust:
Swiss Banks have agreed to pay $1.25 billion U.S. dollars to settle legal claims relating to the World War II era conduct of Swiss banks, Swiss businesses and the Swiss government ("Swiss entities").
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (the "Court") will hold a hearing on November 29, 1999, to decide whether the settlement should be given final approval.
Note that you may be included even if you did not have a Swiss bank account, and that this Settlement is different from the Swiss Humanitarian Fund.
Who is affected by the Settlement
You are affected by the Settlement if you fit into one of the following five Settlement Classes. Four Classes consist of "Victims or Targets of Nazi Persecution" (any individual, business, or group persecuted or targeted for persecution by the Nazi Regime or its agents; because they were, or were believed to be, Jewish, Romani, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexual, or physically or mentally disabled or handicapped), AND who:
1. Had assets on deposit with any Swiss bank, investment fund, or other custodian, prior to May 9, 1945, OR
2. May have claims against Swiss Entities relating to assets looted or taken by the Nazi Regime*, OR
3. Performed slave labor for entities that may have deposited the revenues or proceeds of that labor with or transacted that profit through Swiss Entities, OR
4. Unsuccessfully sought entry into Switzerland to avoid Nazi persecution, or after gaining entry, were mistreated, and may have related claims against any Swiss Entity.
The fifth Settlement Class includes any individual, whether or not a Victim or Target of Nazi persecution, who performed slave labor in a work site, wherever located, owned or controlled by a Swiss Entity.
All settlement classes include heirs and successors of the persons and entities described above.
Even if you're not sure whether you are a member of one of the Settlement Classes, you should request a Mailed Notice and Initial Questionaire. For example, if you performed slave labor, you may not know whether revenue or proceeds of that labor were deposited with Swiss Entities; you may still be a Settlement Class member.
* The second Settlement Class also includes claims against Swiss Entities relating to "Cloaked Assets", which are assets disguised by a Swiss Entity for the benefit of an Axis company or person associated with the Nazi Regime between 1933 and 1946.
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I shall spare you the rest. Your comments are invited.
Ingrid
Thought for the Day:
"I read somewhere that there are now 500 lawsuits pending against I.G.Farben alone."
(Letter to the Zundelsite)