Now that a settlement has been reached between the Swiss banks and Holocaust survivors, it is worth reflecting on some of the lessons of this two-year struggle:

What We Have Learned

• Political pressure is necessary to achieve success: Let us not forget that it took the Swiss fifty years to address the question of their behavior during the war and it only happened because Jewish organizations, led by Edgar Bronfman and the World Jewish Congress,

  ...too many nations and individuals don’t do the right thing on their own and pressure becomes necessary.

  and American politicians and officials, led by Undersecretary of State Stuart Eizenstat and Senator Alfonse D’Amato made it clear that the Swiss would pay a heavy price if they did not address the problem. Unfortunately, too many nations and individuals don’t do the right thing on their own and pressure becomes necessary.
  
  
• Justice must be achieved, but never at the expense of the central moral issues of the Holocaust: As we move forward in educating future generations about the destruction of European Jewry, we must continue to seek way to make the increasingly distant events relevant to their lives. It will take creativity and each generation must be taught in a different way. What must remain constant is that the Holocaust was, above all, the triumph of evil in the form of an effort to wipe out a people simply because of who they were, not what they owned. Any effort to recover the funds that rightfully belonged to Jews and their families but were stolen during and after the war must not obscure what the Holocaust was about for new generations.
  
  
• Anti-Semitism is still alive and well, and all parties to such disputes must find ways to mitigate these manifestations: We have always believed that anti-Semitism is a phenomenon that has little to do with Jews and more to do with the fears, prejudices, and insecurities of other groups and nations. The surge of anti-Semitism in

  ...the Holocaust was, above all, the triumph of evil in the form of an effort to wipe out a people simply because of who they were, not what they owned

  Switzerland these troubled two years – including anti-Jewish phone calls, letters, comments – indicates that Switzerland has a major challenge before it.  Its leaders ought to examine what they could have done and what they have to do to deal with residual public prejudices against Jews.
  
  

Lessons for the American Jewish Community

At the same time, American Jews must look at the way they conducted their campaign. While acknowledging that pressure was needed and that burgeoning anti-Semitism reflects an internal Swiss problem, we must examine our own behavior to see if at certain points we could have worked toward our goals but in a way that would ameliorate an anti-Semitic backlash. This is not a theoretical exercise because other situations will surely arise when political pressure may be required. Two areas to consider are closer consultation with the local Jewish community which will be the party directly affected by resurgent anti-Semitism; and setting goals and sticking to them, i.e., keep the pressure on to achieve those goals, but don’t move the goal posts which might lead to cynicism in a public susceptible to the message of anti-Semites.

• The importance of Jewish unity through a healthy consultative process: Keeping in mind that the most important objectives are not to lose sight of the tragedy of the Holocaust and to make sure that funds go to those survivors who have claims and those who are neediest, it is vital that Jewish organizations and representatives work in unison. The process has been most successful when Jewish representatives reached agreed upon goals and presented a united front. If, at this point, some will break rank and go out on their own and squabbling will emerge concerning the allocation of funds, then we will end up undoing some of the good that was achieved in this complicated process. The memory of six million and the future ability to keep that memory alive demand a united community.
  
  
• The American government once again demonstrates its unique ability to be of assistance in protecting the rights of Jewish in the world: With certain tensions arising in US-Israeli relations these days, the Swiss gold issue reminds us what a unique friend American Jews have in our own government. Whether it has been the issue of Soviet Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Syrian Jews, the well-being of Israel, and now, justice from Switzerland, it has been the willingness of one presidential administration and Congress after another to work with American Jewry that has helped achieve great things. In dealing with issues related to the Holocaust, the stark difference of America today as compared to the 1930’s and 1940’s can never be overestimated. The American factor should never be taken for granted; we should express our gratitude and continue to encourage American policies that lead the effort towards justice, human rights, and democratic values in the world.