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DE RUEHLJ #0369/01 1650000
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R 140000Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4915

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE AND EUR/OHI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KNAR SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA TO ADDRESS JEWISH RESTITUTION ISSUE 
 
 
Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  The Government of Slovenia (GOS) has taken 
several important initial steps towards addressing the issue 
of restitution for Jewish communal and heirless properties 
confiscated or nationalized after World War II.  In October 
2005, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) created a new Department 
for Restitution and National Reconciliation to study the 
issue of Jewish restitution.  In June 2006, the GOS will 
issue a tender for a research institution to compile a 
historical inventory of heirless and communal Jewish 
properties seized or nationalized after WWII, and by fall 
2006, the research project should be underway.  The 
participation of the World Jewish Restitution Organization 
(WJRO) in discussions with the GOS has also given a fresh 
impetus to the resolution of the restitution issue.  The 
president of the Jewish Community of Slovenia (JCS), Andrej 
Kozar Beck, has supported direct discussions between the GOS 
and WJRO.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Restitution Discussions Given Fresh Impetus 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  After years of languishing under the previous 
center-left government, the issue of Jewish restitution has 
gained new life under the center-right government of Prime 
Minister Janez Jansa.  Although discussions between Justice 
Minister Lovro Sturm and Jewish Community President Andrej 
Kozar Beck initially got off to a rocky start in September 
2005 (due largely to miscommunication and perceptions of 
ill-will on both sides), the involvement of WJRO 
representative and B'nai B'rith Executive Vice President 
Daniel Mariaschin has helped improve the atmosphere and move 
the discussion forward.  On November 4, 2005, Mariaschin 
traveled to Slovenia to consult with Kozar Beck and to meet 
with GOS officials.  During his visit, Mariaschin also met 
with COM and informed him that in the case of an eventual 
settlement with the GOS, the WJRO would establish a 
Trusteeship Foundation to oversee the disbursement of funds 
obtained from the GOS.  The Foundation would include members 
of the JCS as well as outside members and would ensure that 
funds are first distributed to any remaining Holocaust 
survivors before being allocated to local community projects. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
MOJ Proposes Joint Historical Inquiry, then Delays 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3. (C) During a subsequent visit to Slovenia in early 2006, 
MOJ Sturm and Mariaschin agreed to collaborate on the 
historical inquiry.  According to the agreement, WJRO was to 
hire two well respected Holocaust researchers from the 
Institute for Ethnic Studies in Ljubljana, Dr. Hannah Starman 
and Dr. Irena Sumi, while MOJ was to hire two additional 
researchers (associates of Starman and Sumi) to work as a 
single research team.  The research project was to begin in 
March 2006 and be completed by December 2006.  In subsequent 
discussions, however, it became apparent that MOJ would not 
be able to hire the additional researchers directly.  Sturm's 
Chief of Staff, Janko Koren, told Poloff that a GOS-wide 
hiring freeze required that the researchers be employed 
through a tender issued by the Slovenian Research Agency. 
Furthermore, because of the GOS's bi-annual tendering 
calendar, the announcement of the tender would be delayed 
until April or May 2006. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
COM Hosts Lunch to Discuss Restitution Issues 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) On March 24, COM hosted a lunch for Minister Sturm, 
MOJ Chief of Staff Janko Koren, MFA Director General Janez 
Sumrada, German Ambassador to Slovenia Hans Jorgen Peters, 
B'nai B'rith Executive VP Mariaschin, and Arie Bucheister 
from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against 
Germany.  During the lunch, Mariaschin discussed the 
importance of resolving the issue expeditiously, and thanked 
Sturm for his cooperation.  Sturm expressed his firm 
conviction that the misdeeds of the post-war Communist regime 
should be rectified, but noted that the GOS could not be held 
accountable for injustices committed during the Second World 
War itself, when Slovenia was occupied by the Axis powers. 
Sturm also expressed his interest in beginning the historical 
inventory without delay, but explained that for bureaucratic 
reasons the tender could not be issued before the "mid-April 
timeframe." 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Back to Two Parallel Research Projects? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Following the lunch meeting on March 24, Starman 
called Poloff to report that the tender for the research 
inquiry was being issued for a research institution, rather 
than for individual researchers, and said she feared the idea 
of collaborative research was being abandoned.  Afterwards, 
Poloff phoned MOJ Chief of Staff Janko Koren to inquire about 
the matter, and Koren confirmed that the tender was being 
issued for an institution.  When Poloff asked why, Koren 
explained that it was best if the winner of the tender could 
complete the research project autonomously if need be.  Koren 
told Poloff that Starman and Sumi had refused to share their 
data with the MOJ, and that he seriously doubted their 
willingness to cooperate.  Koren further explained that 
because of the bi-annual tendering process, the tender would 
not be announced until June 2006 and could only be completed 
by September 2006 at the earliest. 
 
¶6. (C) Starman (protect) later opined to Poloff that the MOJ 
had reversed its decision on collaborating with her research 
team because it distrusted their motives and preferred to 
conduct a separate, parallel research project.  (NOTE: In the 
event that there are two parallel research projects and 
discrepancies arise between them, the two inventories of 
properties will then have to be reconciled before restitution 
negotiations can begin.  END NOTE).  Starman explained that 
she had refused to hand over her files to the MOJ until they 
had signed an agreement stipulating the terms of their 
cooperation and the handling of sensitive personal data on 
Holocaust victims and survivors. 
 
¶7. (C) Starman speculated that the GOS tender would be 
awarded to the Institute for Contemporary Studies, whose 
Director, Dr. Jera Vodusek, is an old friend of Minister 
Sturm's.  Starman further claimed that the Institute was 
focused on an issue very close to Sturm's heart: restitution 
for former members of the rightist "White Guard" who had 
collaborated with the Axis powers during WWII and whose 
members were later persecuted by the post-war Yugoslav 
government.  Starman noted that in this way Sturm was trying 
to associate restitution for Jewish communal and heirless 
properties with the more neuralgic issue of restitution for 
former members of the "White Guard." 
 
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Comment 
-------- 
 
¶8. (C) Although it will be unfortunate if the GOS and WJRO 
are forced to conduct two separate research projects 
(consuming more time, money, and resources than a 
collaborative effort), this appears to be the most likely 
outcome at this point.  Nevertheless, after years of ignoring 
the issue, the good news is that the GOS finally appears 
determined to seriously address the question of Jewish 
restitution and to conduct research into the confiscation and 
nationalization of Jewish property after WWII.  In addition 
to engaging Justice Minister Sturm, COM has also raised the 
issue directly with Prime Minister Jansa and made clear the 
importance that the U.S. places in resolving this issue 
equitably and expeditiously.  During a May 24 meeting with 
Deputy FoMin Bozo Cerar, DAS Mark Pekala also underscored the 
importance of concluding the tender and commencing the 
research project as soon as possible.  Post will continue to 
engage the GOS on this issue and advocate for a fair and 
speedy resolution. 
ROBERTSON