THE DETROIT JEWISH NEW S Friday, ' April 14, 196 1 — 32
Charge Israeli Court Incompetent
(Continued . fro,m _Page 1)
tones, showed some emotion
agreement with Bonn so that
would not deal with the key. is- when he dealt with the defense
these witnesses could go be-
sue of competence before then. attorney's intimation that the
fore a German judge in Ger-
• The attorney concluded this three judges, as Jews, could not
many to testify and to be cross-
line of argument by reminding deal with Eichmann without
examined by an Israel repre-
the court that the West German prejudice.'
sentative.
"No one expects you to, be
Federal Republic had "accepted
Servatius, he added, thus far
responsibility" for the actions of neutral regarding the charge , of
had not presented the prosecu-
the
destruction
of
a
nation,"
the
Nazi Germany and was paying
tion with the names of any wit-
Attorney General told the' three
reparations.
nesses he- wished to use but
He claimed that world opinion jurists. "On the contrary," he
could not either because of their
fears for their life, self-incrimi-
had judged Eichmann too hastily added, "if any judge could re-
nation or lack of funds.
and asserted that Eichmann was main neutral in regard to such
an
indictment,
he
would
be
dis-
certainly not a top - level war
The Attorney General revert-
qualified.
You
are,
however,
ex-
The Eichmann Tribunal consists of, from left,' Judges Ben- ed to the question of the court's
criminal like those who had stood
trial at Nuremberg. He said he pected to conduct the fairest jamin Halevi, Yitzhak Raveh and Moshe Landau, presiding. jurisdiction and cited a series
of precedents to dispose of the
would submit written briefs cov- trial and to judge according to
ering the legal issues he had the evidence presented to you." dainental question of the com- epemy of his people. "On the, defense arguments as to the
petence
of
the
court.
contrary,
the
existence
of
a
sov-
The Attorney General sharp-
raised.
legal effects of the methods
Servatius then asked that his ereign Jewish state qualified to used in bringing Eichmann into
ly attacked Servatius on the
When the .court .resumed sit-
question of Eichmann's deposi- own letter to the Minister of try Eichmann should be wel- the court's jurisdiction.
ting after a :brief recess, Ser-.
tion in Buenos Aires after his Justice not be accepted in the comed. But," he added, - "the
vatius attacked the validity of
capture there. He asked the record because it was irrelevant. matter of abduction is arguable."
the deposition - made by •Eich-
Cologne
lawyer why he now When a spectator laughed, the
Hausner also took exception
mann in Argentina.
considered that 'statement un- court warned that a similar dis- to the defense claim it was
"Needless • to • say," Servatius acceptable when he himself turbance would result in the handicapped because it could
:told the court, "this deposition had based his request to the eviction of the culprit.
not bring witnesses to the
was obtained under • duress and Israel Minister of , Justice that
Servatius then tried to explain court. If Servatius really had
I shall prove to the court that Israel pay for Eichxnami's de- his earlier remarks about the German witnesses with rele-
it was made under presSure and fense on that statement. He composition of the court. He said vant testimony, Hausner de-
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
threats and is, therefore, without said- however, that this ques- there was nothing wrong in a clared, he was prepared to
(Direct
Telex Service from Jerusalem
value. A Mari in hiding for 15 tion was irrelevant to the fun- Jewish judge trying the arch- implement the legal assistance
Courthouse to The Jewish News)
years to• avoid trial will certainly
JERUSALEM ' — The Israeli
not submit voluntarily, and espe-
judges' ' thoroughness and prose-
cially to the state he had reason
cution's complete acquaintance
to fear more than any other."
with international law in dealing
Hausner answered the Ger-
with Eichmann leaves a deep
man attorney point by. point. He
impression upon the large corps
opened his reply with a brief
of correspondents and diplomatic
reference to the decision of the
JERSUALEM (JTA) — De- transports. He likewise devised Eichmann with ordering, at the corps at the historic Eichmann
United Nations Security Coun- tailed figures on the mass-an- measures designed to prevent end of 1941, the deportation of Trial here.
cil not to request Israel to re- nihilation of Jews in Europe child-bearing and caused the thousands of Jews from Germ-
By contrast, the smugness of
turn Eichmann to Argentina, under the direction of Adolph seterilization of members of any, Austria and Czechoslovakia
the
accused, his calmness, the
thus implying that Israel had the Eichmann 'are given in the in- mixed marriages among Jews to' ghettos in Riga, Kovno and
right to put the . prisoner on dictment drafted . by Attorney in Germany and neighboring Minsk. These Jews were exter- impression that he is unrelenting
and unatoning, have multiplied
trial. -
countries, as in the Theresien- minated as were a number of the-
General Gideon Hausner.
bitterness 'that has been re-
sta
The
indictment
is
divided
dt
camp
and
the
Kovno
Jews
deported
from
Germany
He challenged a statement by
vived
by the memories of the
ghetto.
into
four
parts
and
contains
15
on November 30, 1941 together Nazi crimes.'
Servatius, that the attorney had
The indictment also charg- with some 4,000 Jews from
asked West Germany to ask for charges. The categories are: of-
It is the holocaust that is on
Eichmann's extradition: No ex- fenses against humanity, war es Eichmann with causing Riga.
trial
here, and while the able
tradition request had been re- Crimes, and membership in a the spoliation of the prop-
Some 3,500 Jews from Germ- defense
attorney Servatius exerts
hostile
organization.
erty of millions of people, any, who were sent to Minsk
ceived by the Israel Govern-
Eichmann 'is accused of hav- including Jews, by inhuman pursuant to Eichmann's instruc- every legal means in his client's
ment, he declared.
ing been the chief, from the means, terror, etc., by util- tions were exterminated by an behalf, there is the certainty
"At this moment," he told beginning
World War II, izing the "Judenrat" and sim- operational group in Byelo- here that the great crime will
the court, "no one but the of -a special of
Gestapo
department ilar cover organizations, for Russia together with 55,000 be exposed in all its details.
State of Israel wishes to try charged with assembling,
de-
Servatius' claims of illegality
Eichmann. It is not the Jewish porting and killing Jews. He is the seizure of property and more Jews who were residents
people who will try Eichmann held responsible for the murder money. He is also accused of that district, the indictment of Eichmann's , being "tried in
Israel, his contention that the
adds.
here but many who are not by gassing (using Zyklon-B of 'causing extortion f
Israeli - court is prejudiced, his
•here, including millions of gas), shooting and hanging of Jews and the collection of
During
_the
years
1940-1945,
neutrals, will sit in judgment millions of Jews in the camps the bodily properties, such Eichmann together with others, assertion that "the accused can-
as false teeth and false caused the killing of hundreds not expiate" because he was
upon him."
of Auschwitz, Chelmo, Belsen,
serving his state and his state
The Attorney General coun- Sobibor, Treblinka, and Maid- limbs, of murdered Jews.
of thousands of Jews in forced
In giving the details of the labor camps which were con- had impliedly given him the
tered the defense's claim that the anek, cooperating with four Op-
court might . be influenced un- erational groups which worked mass-murder of Jews, the in- ducted on =the lines of concen- orders to act as he did, were
the highlights of opening ses-
fairly by the tremendous interest in various parts of Eastern dictment says that four oper- tration camps, and in which sions
of trial.
in the case by declaring that the Europe occup i ed by the Ger- ational Nazi groups cooperated such Jews were enslaved, tor-
with
Eichmann
in
the
exterm-
The
claim of prejudice was
fact the trial was being held in mans. The numbers of Jews
tured and starved to death
the full glare of world publicity killed in the Baltic States, Bye- ination of Jews in NaziMield in Germany, and in countries easily disposed of with the .ex-
was the strongest guarantee of lorussia, the Ukarine and_o,ther countries after the invasion occupied by Germany accord- ample of the Nuremberg Trials
of the German army. The- ac- ing to the indictment.
where the judges, too, represent-
the fairness of the trial.
areas are given.
tivities of such groups included
ed the victors over Nazism.
He noted that this was the
He is further charged with among
Eichmann
is
also
charged,
other things, the follow-
principle behind the Nuremberg having caused the death or
The injection of the term-
with others, with causing the
trials and reminded -Servatius danger to the life and health ing acts: . .
"expiation"—by Servatius opened
killing
of
still
more
hundreds
1. Operational Group 'A' . — of thousands of Jews during up new conditions in the case.
that if that principle had been of Jews, or serious harm, suf-
applicable at Nuremberg, it was fering and anguish to Jews by During the first four months the years 1939-1945 in Germany Servatius' assertion that Germany
certainly applicable in the Eich- confining them under inferior of the invasion, this group ex- and the other Axis countries, pays reparations and is helping
mann trial.
living conditions, as in forced' terminated in Lithuania more and the areas occupied by them, Israel adds to the resentment in
The Attorney - General, who labor camps, ghettos, concen- than 80,000 Jews; in Latvia by their mass deportation and Israeli ranks where it is held
spoke throughout in calm low tration camps or deportation more than 30,000 Jews; in Es- concentration in ghettos and that restitution was for property
tonia about 470 Jews; in Byelo- other concentration points,
un- robbed froth. Jews. "Expiation"
Russia more than 70,600 Jews; der cruel and inhuman- con-
may remain a frequently referred-
in Russia about 2,000 Jews; ditions, in the following coun- to term in the entire trial pro-
in the -District of Tilsit about tries: Germany, Austria, Italy, ceedings.
5,500 Jews—a total of more Bulgaria, Bulgium, USSR and
Security precautions remain
than 135,000 Jews.
the Baltic States, Lithuania, unparalleled to prevent the assas-
_ 2. Operational Group 'B' — Latvia and Estonia which were sination of the accused, with the
Up to November 14, 1941, this annexed to the USSR, and that courtbuilding constantly under
group exterminated more than part of Poland which was an- guard, armed military on roofs
45,000 Jews in Byelo-Russia nexed to the USSR after Sept- surrounding the court house and
and other areas.
ember 1939, Denmark and Hol- the building under floodlights all
3. Operational - Group 'C' — land, Hungary, Yugoslavia, night.
(This correspondent's unlit
Up to November 3, 1941, this Greece, Luxemburg, Monaco,
group exterminated more than Norway, Pala n d, Czechoslo- cigar was smelled by the guard
who searched him, and, his cig-
75,000 Jews in the Ukraine, vakia, France, and Rumania.
arette lighter and 'pens were
including 33,000 Jews of Kiev.
"The 'accused caused the
thoroughly examined.)
4. Operational Group 'D' — killing of some half •a mil-
wears plastic glasses
Up to December 12, 1941, this lion Hungarian Jews ' by to Eichmann
him from using glass
group exterminated about 54,- means of their mass deporta- in prevent
.a suicide attempt. He wears
000 Jews.
tion to the extermination house slippers so that he won't
"During the period from Aug- camp at Auschwitz and other have shoelaces to use for strangl-
ust to November 1942, the op- places during the period from ing. In the bullet-proof prisoners'
erational groups referred to March 19, 1944 to December box with him are two unarmed
above exterminated some 363,- 22, 1944 at a time when he Jewish policemen so there will
000 Jews," the indictment acted as head of the `Eich- be no chance of his lunging for a
groups operated in the same mann Special Operations weapon to use on himself.
manner and for the same pur- U n i t' (Sondereinsatz Kom-
Feeling here is that the trial
pose, in the . said districts in mando Eichmann) in Buda- may last -a very long time. There
the extermination of the Jews pest. All the acts mentioned is increasing belief that he'll be
from June 1941 until 1944, and in this count Were committed hanged, the Knesset having
exterminated hundreds of thou- by the accused with the in-
ROBERT SERVATIUS, Eichmann's defense attorney, leaves the sands of Jews in addition to tention of destroying the adopted a law a few weeks ago
decreeing hanging as the means
Beth Ha-Am after visiting his client. Servatius, from Cologne, those detailed above."
Jewish people," the indict- of fulfilling the death penalty if
West Germany, is being paid $20,000 by Israel.
The indictment also charges ment emphasized.
and when it is imposed.
Israelis Resent
Term'Expiation';
Security Rigid
.
..
Four-Part Indictment Gives Details
of Operation for Mass-Annihilation
.
,