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NAZI MONEY PAID FOR THE DEPORTATION OF BELGIAN JEWS DURING THE HOLOCAUST SHOULD BEST BE CONFISCATED
Michael Freilich, EJA Special Envoy for Holocaust Remembrance and Belgian Member of Parliament:
“NAZI MONEY PAID FOR THE DEPORTATION OF BELGIAN JEWS DURING THE HOLOCAUST SHOULD BEST BE CONFISCATED”
On 17 February 2025, the report “The Belgian Railways and the deportations during the Second World War” was presented to the Senate’s Committee on Institutional Affairs in Parliament.
Michael Freilich, the only Jewish Member of Parliament and a special envoy to the European Jewish Association reacts:
“It is praiseworthy that this historical research has finally been completed, albeit many years overdue. For too long, too little attention was paid to the role of the Belgian railways during the Second World War. This report brings crucial new facts to light and reminds us that we must learn from the past.
But recognition is not enough. The government must accept its responsibility and take concrete action, as the report proposes. It calls for tangible initiatives, such as education and commemoration projects, and more support for surviving victims and their families.
Freilich advocates confiscating the money used to pay for the deportations: It is known that the Nazis paid the Belgian railways to deport 25,843 Jews and 351 Roma from Belgium to concentration and extermination camps. This amount – equivalent to around 15 million euros today – should be confiscated by the state, as is usually the case with funds obtained through criminal activity. This would send an important message to the survivors and the families of the victims. These funds could then be used to fight racism, anti-Semitism and current threats against the Jewish community. In this way, we can ensure that the lessons of the past are effectively translated into policy.”
Conclusions of the Group of the Wise on the NMBS/SNCB during WWII
The presentation of the report The NMBS/SNCB (the Belgian Railways) and the deportations during WWII took place in the Senate’s Institutional Affairs Committee on Monday 17 February 2025.
The Group of The Wise concluded that the historical research uncovered new facts about the involvement of Belgium and the NMBS/SNCB in the deportations during the Second World War. The importance of knowledge and awareness about this period cannot be emphasised enough.
In addition, the research shows that the lessons from this history remain relevant. The danger of a creeping undermining of democracy and the constitutional state, as happened through seemingly small bureaucratic decisions, remains a current warning. The cooperation of the NMBS/SNCB in the deportations illustrates how institutions can morally fail under ideological pressure.
The necessity of moral vigilance is also emphasised. The ethical dilemmas that officials and institutions were confronted with in wartime are not merely historical: even today, critical thinking requires constant attention in order to protect the rights and dignity of minorities.
The Group calls for a broader commitment to combating anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. Not only the federal government, but also other levels of government and the private sector must be involved.
Recommendations
The recommendations are grouped around three core pillars: Truth, Transmission and Reparation. In addition, a transversal recommendation is formulated to improve the coordination and evaluation of initiatives.
- Truth
- The NMBS/SNCB must take concrete actions to publicly reveal the historical truth, in collaboration with experts and organisations.
- Cooperation between initiatives must be improved to prevent fragmentation and promote knowledge sharing.
- Society must be better informed about the concept of the ‘politics of least resistance’ and its relevance today.
- Transmission
- Educational initiatives are needed to transmit history to young people and the general public.
- Teachers must be supported in countering resistance and disinformation in the classroom.
- The War Heritage Institute (WHI) can contribute with travelling exhibitions and educational programmes.
- Restitution
- The NMBS/SNCB should not only express regret, but also offer an official apology for its role in the deportations.
- Work must be done to improve the status of victims and initiatives for commemoration and social actions for the benefit of the groups involved.
- The federal government must be open to initiatives to repair material and moral damage, even 80 years after the fact.
- Cross-cutting recommendation
- An inventory of commemoration and educational initiatives must be made to avoid overlap and increase effectiveness.
- A budget must be provided for evaluations and impact measurements of these initiatives.
- A monitoring committee must be established to monitor the implementation and impact of these recommendations.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, stated:
“This report is a stark reminder of the consequences of institutional complicity in evil. The European Jewish Association stands firm in its call for justice, not just in recognizing historical truths, but in taking concrete action. Confiscating these funds is not merely a financial measure—it is a moral imperative. We owe it to the victims and their descendants to ensure that these ill-gotten gains are used to combat hate and anti-Semitism today. Only then can we truly say we have learned from the past.”
- February 24, 2025
Past events
Holocaust Remembrance Conference at the European Commission
Rue de la loi 155, 1040 Brussels
IRAN REGIME ALLIANCES: DESTABILIZING INFLUENCES IN EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST
Brussels
EUROPEAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION RESPONSE TO THE VANDALISM IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY IN SLOVAKIA
AS JEWISH CEMETERY IN SLOVAKIA IS DEFACED AGAIN, EUROPEAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION URGES SLOVAK GOVERNMENT TO CLAMP DOWN HARD ON REPULSIVE PERPETRATORS AND INCREASE HOLOCAUST EDUCATION PROVISION
Immediate focus after bringing prosecutions against perpetrators must be on education says EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin.
(Brussels 17 March 2025) A Jewish Cemetery in Humenne, Slovakia was desecrated with the daubing of Swastikas on headstones. This is the second time that the Cemetery was attacked, and follows a pattern of attacks over the last years on Jewish cemetaries.
The cemetery stands as memorial monument to a lost community, wiped out in the Holocaust.
The Brussels based European Jewish Association represents hundreds of Jewish Communities across Europe. Its Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin has written to the Slovak Minister of Education, Mr Tomas Drucker urging his department to increase Holocaust education in all schools and for his government clamp down hard and prosecute the perpetrators.
In a statement today, Rabbi Margolin said,
“The desecration of Jewish graves is heinous, repulsive and a betrayal of memory. These stones stand as a testament to a community that vanished after humanity’s lowest point: the Holocaust
“I have written to the Slovakian Education Minister to increase Holocaust education in Slovakia. When graveyards are habitually desecrated it points to a sickness in society that needs to be addressed.
“The best cure, other than the perpetrators feeling the full weight of justice, is through education, in particular of learning the lessons of the Holocaust and where mindless hatred can lead a society. The government must clamp down hard.”
- March 18, 2025
EUROPEAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION RESPONSE TO GHENT COURT ACQUITTAL OF HERMAN BRUSSELMANS
Responding to the news this morning that a court in Ghent has acquitted Herman Brusselmans for Holocaust Denial or Trivialisation and for Racism or Hate speech, the Chairman of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Menachem Margolin said in statement,
“Jewish Communities across Belgium and across Europe have just been told that hate laws don’t apply to Jews in the Kingdom.
The Courts think it OK for a man, read by hundreds of thousands of people, to incite murder and spread hate.
The Court thinks it’s ok to write in a national publication that you want to stick a knife in the throat of every Jew you come across in anger at the situation in Gaza.
Belgium has just normalised hate speech. It has given a green light to antisemitism. It has said that when it comes to Jews, everything is permitted.
This is a disgraceful and utterly shameful outcome, one that calls into very question the future of Jews in Belgium. Brusselmans words were so clear cut. And his acquittal leaves a gaping wound between Jews and the very state that is supposed to care for its wellbeing.
The new Belgium Government has the urgent duty to bring forward new legislation to prevent such reprehensible and morally bankrupt decisions in the future when it comes to the fight against antisemitism.”
- March 12, 2025
Open letter to the federal Belgian negotiators,
Brussels, 27 January 2025 – In an open letter, leading Jewish associations and the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism have addressed the leaders of the upcoming Belgian government.
The letter, signed by the European Jewish Association (EJA), the Ligue belge contre l’antisémitisme (LBCA) and the Joods Informatie- en Documentatiecentrum (JID), outlines key concerns of the Jewish community that they hope to see addressed in the new coalition agreement. The letter is being accompanied by an extensive online communication campaign to highlight this action and to involve citizens in the initiative.
- Increased security
The letter highlights the need for increased security measures for Jewish institutions in light of the increased risk of attack, as identified by national security organisations. It calls for both temporary and structural reinforcements to ensure the safety of the Jewish community and implores the appointment of a federal security advisor to coordinate these matters.
- Combating Jew hatred
The letter calls for the appointment of a special coordinator to combat anti-Semitism, an initiative already adopted by several European countries. This coordinator would be responsible for monitoring Jew hatred and developing strategies against this growing threat, particularly in view of the worrying increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Belgium.
- Freedom of religion
As Europe continues to secularise, the letter underlines the importance of recognising and protecting religious freedoms. The Jewish community seeks assurances that its right to freedom of belief will continue to be respected and protected, and stresses the importance of constructive dialogue on sensitive issues.
The call to the new government is clear: take the concerns of the Jewish community seriously and integrate their needs into policy. The letter concludes with an invitation for partnership in the hope that, despite the tragedies of the past, the Jewish community can look forward to a dynamic future.
It is now up to the leaders of the coalition government in formation to respond to this call and to show that Belgium recognises and protects the value and contributions of its Jewish citizens.
Download the letter in PDF
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:8cd61633-824b-4f06-a19f-b8a607728615
- January 28, 2025
Open brief aan de federale onderhandelaars,
Brussel, 27 januari 2025 – In een open brief hebben vooraanstaande Joodse verenigingen en de Belgische Liga tegen het antisemitisme zich gericht tot de leiders van de Arizona coalitie.
De brief, ondertekend door de European Jewish Association (EJA), Ligue belge contre l’antisémitisme (LBCA), en het Joods Informatie- en Documentatiecentrum (JID), legt belangrijke zorgen van de Joodse gemeenschap voor die zij hopen geadresseerd te zien in het nieuwe regeerakkoord. Er wordt naast de brief ook een omvangrijke online communicatiecampagne gelanceerd om de actie in de verf te zetten en om burgers te betrekken bij het initiatief.
- Verhoogde Veiligheid
De brief benadrukt de noodzaak voor verhoogde veiligheidsmaatregelen voor Joodse instellingen, gezien het verhoogde risico op aanvallen zoals vastgesteld door het OCAD. Er wordt gepleit voor zowel tijdelijke als structurele versterkingen, die nodig zijn om de veiligheid van de Joodse gemeenschap te garanderen. Er wordt voorgesteld een veiligheidsadviseur op federaal niveau aan te stellen om deze zaken te coördineren.
- Bestrijding van Jodenhaat
De brief roept op tot de aanstelling van een speciale gezant ter bestrijding van antisemitisme, een initiatief dat al door diverse Europese landen is overgenomen. Deze coördinator zou verantwoordelijk zijn voor het monitoren van antisemitisme en het ontwikkelen van strategieën tegen deze groeiende dreiging, vooral gezien de verontrustende toename van antisemitische incidenten in België.
- Vrijheid van Geloof
Als Europa verder seculariseert, onderstreept de brief het belang van het erkennen en beschermen van religieuze vrijheden. De Joodse gemeenschap vraagt om garanties dat hun recht op vrijheid van geloof gerespecteerd en beschermd blijft, en benadrukt het belang van een constructieve dialoog over gevoelige kwesties.
De oproep aan de nieuwe regering is duidelijk: neem de zorgen van de Joodse gemeenschap serieus en integreer hun behoeften in het beleid. De brief sluit af met een uitnodiging voor een partnerschap, in de hoop dat de Joodse gemeenschap, ondanks de tragedies van het verleden, een dynamische toekomst tegemoet kan gaan.
De partijvoorzitters van de Arizona coalitie zijn nu aan zet om te reageren op deze oproep tot actie, en om te laten zien dat België de waarde en bijdragen van haar Joodse burgers erkent en beschermt.
Download de brief ook als PDF
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:25d142c0-c769-4813-a68f-5cdbe168f656
- January 28, 2025
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It’s a challenging time for Jewish communities in Europe. Anti-Semitism is on the rise as populism and the politics of the lowest common denominator are gaining traction. Our communities often need round the clock protection and our practices and customs such as keeping Kosher are under pressure from increasing political interference.
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