A compensation fund for Second World War slave labour announced yesterday in Germany is a token gesture, says the New Zealand Jewish Council.
Representatives of the United States, Russia, Israel, four eastern European states, the Jewish Claims Conference and victims' lawyers signed documents along with German officials establishing the 10 billion mark ($10.57 billion) compensation fund.
A foundation, named Remembrance, Responsibility and the Future, will be funded equally by the German Government and German companies that used forced labour.
Jewish Council president David Zwartz said last night that most survivors regretted that many fellow labourers had died before seeing any compensation.
"They think that it's just come so late that it's only a token gesture in terms of the amount of money."
But "they're pleased there's an apology that goes with it, which shows an acceptance of liability for what went on, not just by the German Government, but by those companies that benefited from slave labour at the time."
Mr Zwartz said if the compensation had come earlier, people might have felt better about it.
"An apology delayed is still an apology, but it's diminished in value."
He said there was a feeling that companies had put off resolving the compensation issue until a significant number of victims had died so they did not have to pay as much money.
Mr Zwartz estimated that up to 100 Jewish survivors now living in New Zealand would be entitled to compensation.
Members of the Dutch, Polish, Russian and Italian communities who had been forced to work for the Nazis would also be eligible, out of an estimated one million survivors worldwide.
The fund would also compensate people subjected to medical experiments, and some with other Holocaust-related claims.
Mr Zwartz said some Jewish survivors had already taken court cases for compensation, but others could apply for it through the council.
German officials said they expected the foundation would start payments this year.
- NZPA
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