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British split over push for greater democracy at Claims Conference

August 21, 2008 23:00

By

Simon Rocker,

Simon Rocker

1 min read

British representatives to the Claims Conference, the international Holocaust restitution body, are split over whether it should introduce greater democracy.

Paul Edlin, a vice-president of the Board of Deputies and one of its two delegates on the conference board, is among those pressing for change at the New York-based organisation, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars annually to Holocaust survivors.

But his fellow Board delegate, Ben Helfgott, who is a vice-president of the conference, rejects the calls, saying: "There is no need for reform."

The conference's policies have come under increasing scrutiny over the past two years, with demands from the Knesset that it should be monitored by Israel's state comptroller.

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