Canadian Judge Rules On Denaturalization Toronto (JTA) — More than 29 months after a landmark denaturalization hearing ended, a federal court judge in Ottawa has ruled that Dutch-born Jacob Luitjens, a World War II Nazi collaborator, can be stripped of the Canadian citizenship he acquired by lying about his past. The decision by Judge Frank Collier in Ottawa cleared the way to deport Luitjens to Holland, where he was sentenced in absentia in 1948 to life imprisonment. Following the court's deci- sion, Gerry Weiner, minister of state for citizenship, an- nounced he would recom- mend to the federal Cabinet that Mr. Luitjens' citizen- ship be revoked. According to Gerrit Kulsdom, the Dutch consul general here, Mr. Luitjens, a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, could be deported under the new extradition treaty between Canada and the Nether- lands, which takes effect on Dec. 1. Earlier requests for extradition were rejected on grounds that the old treaty did not cover the crime of collaboration. The decision has breathed new life into war crimes prosecutions in Canada. Mr. Luitjens, a former member of the Dutch Nazi Party, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He belonged to the Landwacht, a paramilitary organization run by the German police and the SS in occupied Holland. Its job was to track down Jews and resistance fighters in hiding and turn them over to the Gestapo. Mr. Luitjens operated in the Groningen and Drenthe provinces in northeastern Holland. He surrendered to Allied troops in 1945 rather than face the wrath of his own countrymen but escaped from a military prison in 1946. He spent a year in Germany and sailed for South America in May 1948 using the name Gerhard Harder. Mr. Luitjens lived in Paraguay for 13 years before immigrating to Canada in 1961. He was admitted to the country and obtained citizenship 10 years later by concealing his Nazi past. A retired lecturer in botany at the University of British Columbia, Luitjens faced denaturalization hear- ings, which ended on May 11, 1989. After two years passed without a decision, the justice minister began to prod Judge Collier who, as recently as last month, was rumored not even to have begun drafting his ruling. He finally presented it last week, saying he found the accused evasive and unbelievable. Jewish groups promptly hailed the belated decision. "This proves war crimes can be successfully prosecuted," said Sol Littman, Canadian director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Jack Silverstone, national executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said it was "a very signifi- cant judgment and I am ex- tremely impressed." According to Milton Harris, chairman of the CJC's War Crimes Corn- mittee, the decision "will stand as a clear statement that Canada will no longer harbor or tolerate naturaliz- ed citizens who have know- ingly hidden their Nazi past." B'nai B'rith Canada spokesman Brian Morris concurred. "The remedy of denaturalization and depor- tation must be available to Canadian authorities, along with trial in Canada and extradition," he said. JTA correspondent Henrietta Boas in Amsterdam contributed to this report. Bomb Destroys Apartments Tel Aviv (JTA) — A pipe bomb destroyed two apart- ments in a Tel Aviv slum last week but caused no casualties. The explosion occurred in a three-story residential building in the Kiryat Shapira neighborhood in the southern environs of the city. Several Arabs employed in the area were detained for questioning but police an- nounced no arrests. The ex- plosive device was concealed in a fuse box. The two ground-floor apartments wrecked by the blast and fire were unoccupied at the time. Other residents of the building were evacuated safely while firemen extin- guished the blaze. B"H LAJtonagttamotii9 NceS1 Specialties Incredible Edibles For Every Occasion 'cAfame Lf Only At 5755 W. Maple Suite 121 W. Bloomfield Nancy Zide 855-2880 • TRAYS • BASKETS • NOSH BY THE LB. • Linens • Towels • Baby Gifts • • Bar & Bat Mitzvah Gifts • Bridal Gifts • Sweatshirts • Silk Screening • Buttons • Hats • • Dress Shirts • T-Shirts • Jackets • Polo Shirts • • KOSHER•AREVE mr968-NOSH* 1 Your Merchandise or Ours (6674) Local & Nationwide Delivery -HOLIDAY GIFTS- FAMILY PORTRAITS 350-2420 GOLDENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY bookpeople VISIT US AND SEE WHY TRUE BOOKPEOPLE SHOP BOOKPEOPLE HRS: Mon.-Fri. 10-9 Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-5 851-9150 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD, NORTH OF MAPLE ORCHARD MALL • WEST BLOOMFIELD Rent A Real Arcade Video Game or Juke Box And Make Your Next Party A Guaranteed Hit! • Basketball Tosses • Video Games • Trivia Games • Juke Boxes • Pinball V e StAg rti laNf rl GAME SPECIALISTS Visa 6 756-1555 Mack Pit) AND HIS ORCHESTRA 358-3642 ‘ ..Combo • Big Ban Instant Photo Favors For Your Party Michelle Patti 855-5269 626.4782 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 109