(Archived Content)
FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
LS-876I congratulate Special Master, Judah Gribetz, as well as Judge Edward Korman, who has done so much to guide this settlement, and all the parties to the settlement, on taking is important step that brings us closer to achieving a measure of justice for Holocaust victims and their heirs.
We have reviewed the summary of Special Master Gribetz' Report. I believe the proposed allocation and distribution plan is fair and reasonable. I hope that cooperation among all whom have participated in this settlement will soon bring payments to the many categories of claimants who so richly deserve to receive them.
It is clear from Mr. Gribetz's report that developing an allocation plan has not been easy. The entire process has taken a great deal of time and energy and has involved great care, painful reflection, and difficult compromise. It is important to remember, however, that the hurdles we all have surmounted to achieve agreement are pale in comparison with the fate which befell victims, survivors, and their families.
I want also to note the positive and important roles the participating Swiss banks and other entities have played in setting an example for the international community as we bring to a just and dignified conclusion the unfinished business of a passing and often tragic century. The settlement their efforts underpin has helped to shape a better, more just Europe and world for the coming century and millennium.