Latvian Parliament rejects bill on compensation for Jews
Updated: 23/Nov/2006 19:09
Riga's Jewish community building
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RIGA (AFP)--- The Latvian parliament on Thursday rejected a bill which called for around 46 million euros in compensation to be paid to the country's Jewish community.
In a vote in the 100-seat parliament Thursday, only 12 lawmakers supported the bill which had been put forward by the government, six voted against and 67 abstained. A simple majority was needed to endorse the bill.
The bill proposed paying almost 32 million lats to Latvia's Jewish community over 10 years to "compensate for the historically unfair consequences suffered under the Nazi German Holocaust and Soviet occupation regime".
Several properties would also be returned to the Jewish community, which presently numbers fewer than 10,000 people in the country of some 2.3 million.
One of the largest parties in the Latvian parliament, New Era, abstained from the vote because according to its leaders the bill did not make it clear if other groups that suffered under Latvia's occupiers last century would also receive compensation, a lawmaker from the party said.
Imperfections in the bill
"We are not against compensations for Jews per se, we are against the imperfections and gaps in the bill," said lawmaker Solvita Aboltina, a former minister of legal affairs.
"From a legal point of view, the bill is poorly worked out. It doesn't clearly show whether other groups who suffered under totalitarianism would be entitled to similar compensation from the state," she said.
The way the bill is worded could also set a precedent for other groups to demand compensation for past wrongs, she said.
New Era also complained that the bill "was not discussed in society and among NGOs, despite the fact that this politically sensitive issue demands such a debate," Aboltina added.
Around 90,000 Jews lived in Latvia immediately before World War II, but many were deported or murdered when the Baltic state was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war.
Under the Soviet Union, which forcibly annexed Latvia immediately after the war, ethnic Latvians, including Jews, were persecuted and murdered, and many deported to Siberia.
Others fled into exile, returning to the Baltic state when it regained independence in 1991.
Around 10,000 Jews live today in Latvia.
The bill will be sent back to the cabinet of ministers for review.
Updated: 23/Nov/2006 19:09
Riga's Jewish community building
Page tools
Email to friend
Print this page
Bookmark this page
RIGA (AFP)--- The Latvian parliament on Thursday rejected a bill which called for around 46 million euros in compensation to be paid to the country's Jewish community.
In a vote in the 100-seat parliament Thursday, only 12 lawmakers supported the bill which had been put forward by the government, six voted against and 67 abstained. A simple majority was needed to endorse the bill.
The bill proposed paying almost 32 million lats to Latvia's Jewish community over 10 years to "compensate for the historically unfair consequences suffered under the Nazi German Holocaust and Soviet occupation regime".
Several properties would also be returned to the Jewish community, which presently numbers fewer than 10,000 people in the country of some 2.3 million.
One of the largest parties in the Latvian parliament, New Era, abstained from the vote because according to its leaders the bill did not make it clear if other groups that suffered under Latvia's occupiers last century would also receive compensation, a lawmaker from the party said.
Imperfections in the bill
"We are not against compensations for Jews per se, we are against the imperfections and gaps in the bill," said lawmaker Solvita Aboltina, a former minister of legal affairs.
"From a legal point of view, the bill is poorly worked out. It doesn't clearly show whether other groups who suffered under totalitarianism would be entitled to similar compensation from the state," she said.
The way the bill is worded could also set a precedent for other groups to demand compensation for past wrongs, she said.
New Era also complained that the bill "was not discussed in society and among NGOs, despite the fact that this politically sensitive issue demands such a debate," Aboltina added.
Around 90,000 Jews lived in Latvia immediately before World War II, but many were deported or murdered when the Baltic state was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war.
Under the Soviet Union, which forcibly annexed Latvia immediately after the war, ethnic Latvians, including Jews, were persecuted and murdered, and many deported to Siberia.
Others fled into exile, returning to the Baltic state when it regained independence in 1991.
Around 10,000 Jews live today in Latvia.
The bill will be sent back to the cabinet of ministers for review.
"OY VEY! WEEE WANT OUR REPARATIONS! EVERY JEW EEZ A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR!"
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Jews are the world's biggest bullshit artists.
Shit like this is why people start rounding them up every so many years.
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