From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 17, 2019
European Parliament passes resolution urging restoration of Nazi-looted art
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe European Parliament passes a resolution calling on member states to identify and recover art the Nazis looted from Jews during World War II.
Out of 626 MEPs, 544 support the resolution, 62 vote against and 20 abstain.
“Cultural heritage constitutes one of the basic elements of civilization, given, for example, its symbolic value and cultural memory of humankind uniting people,” the motion, promoted by Czech MEP Pavel Svoboda, says.
It calls for creating “a comprehensive listing of all cultural objects, including Jewish-owned cultural objects plundered by the Nazis and their allies, from the time of their spoliation to the present day.”
The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) welcomes the development.
“Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, this is a powerful declaration of support by the European Parliament for Holocaust survivors and their families in their decades-long quest for justice from the largest cultural theft in history,” says Gideon Taylor, WJRO chair of operations.
#EPlenary approves @EP_Legal report on Cross-border restitution of works of art and cultural goods looted in armed conflict -544/62/20 @1PavelSvoboda pic.twitter.com/o3WYcseOu6
— JURI Committee Press (@EP_Legal) January 17, 2019
The Times of Israel Community.