Ex-communist Europe's pursuit of Holocaust justice stirs anti-Semitism

Both countries and corporations have been forced to confront their pasts. The year 2000 saw two landmark settlements: 10 billion deutsche marks ($5 billion) from Germany for surviving slave and forced laborers exploited by the Nazis, and $1.25 billion from the Swiss banks for assets looted from Jewish clients.

By now, much has been settled. Only a few choice targets remain, such as stolen artwork. Last January, a Vienna-born woman won back a batch of family paintings, including a Gustav Klimt, valued at $200 million. And two months ago, a returned Expressionist sold at Christie's for $38 million, reportedly setting off a panic within German museums that prized possessions may be in the crosshairs. One victims' archive identifies some 100,000 missing pieces.

Another target is Poland. Roughly 90 percent of 3.5 million Polish Jews were killed during the war. Warsaw has yet to address the staggering property loss.

"All we seek is the return of that which was taken," says Gideon Taylor, executive vice president of the Claims Conference. "It's important for people to understand the settlements are not an attempt to do perfect justice and right all the wrongs that took place. Rather, many of these agreements are symbolic in nature."

However, his and other groups say they're pushing Poland and others to expand restitution to include Communist confiscations as well. Thus, it's not only "a Jewish issue." Others point out that making amends for past abuses would bolster respect for property rights and the rule of law in the newly democratic countries.

For those stalking war criminals, though, time is running out. To speed the process, Mr. Zuroff and the Simon Wiesenthal Center launched "Operation Last Chance" in 2002, offering $10,000 rewards for information leading to convictions, while ratcheting up the rhetoric against reticent governments.

That has made some local Jews squirm. In Lithuania, where nearly 95 percent of its 220,000 Jews were killed and fewer than 5,000 remain today, many Jews say that each time a Holocaust-related issue hits the media, it sparks a backlash.

"I understand it's the right thing to do," says one young Jewish woman in Vilnius, the capital. "But I sometimes wonder whether it's worth it, since it'll cause another conflict with the people."

Zuroff, who himself has been accused by fellow Jewish groups of inciting trouble, acknowledges that his methods are controversial. He typically flies in, calls a press conference, and rips into those dragging their feet.

"The critics are right; our methods sometimes arouse anti-Semitism," he says. "I'm aware of it, and not happy about it. But in the long run, this is the best way to fight against anti-Semitism: by having trials that expose the horrific results of this hatred, and punishing the perpetrators of these deeds."

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