Lithuania to compensate Jews for lost property

Lithuania will allocate tens of millions of euros to compensate Jews for property seized by the Nazis, Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius announced on Wednesday, calling it “historic justice.”

The new plan will spread over a decade during which 35 million Euros will be transferred to various public Jewish-related causes, such as education, culture and religion. The fund will be headed by representatives of the local Jewish community and various global Jewish organizations.

“Such decisions are important for all of us,” Andrius said, “we have made a big step in realizing our moral responsibility.” Acknowledging that history can be harsh, the Lithuanian prime minister added that the decision came to fruition after 15 years of talks, and that it is the right thing to do.

Jewish leaders in Lithuania praised the move, with the chair of Lithuanian Jewish organizations Simonas Alperavicius calling it a miracle. Jews are always surrounded by miracles, and the governments decision is one, he said.

The US ambassador to Lithuania, Ann E. Derse, said the move was a positive and important one. It is a step in the direction of historical justice and reconciliation, she added.

The planned budget does not include an approximate EU 850,000 annual budget directed at helping Holocaust survives who still live in Lithuania.

An estimated 95% of the 220,000-strong Jewish population in Lithuania was killed during the second world war, and 5,000 Jews live in the country today.