Hundreds to Target Last Nazi War Criminal Living in New York on 71st Anniversary of Kristallnacht
Monday, November 9, marks the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, which many historians consider the beginning of the Holocaust. Hundreds of students will commemorate Kristallnacht’s significance by protesting the German government’s refusal to allow the U.S. to deport Jakiw Palij, a known Nazi war criminal whose U.S. citizenship has been revoked, back to Germany. Rabbi Zev Friedman, the rally organizer, believes that it is “unconscionable for a Nazi war criminal such as Palij to remain free in the U.S. despite all of the evidence against him. We are here to support Congressman Anthony Weiner’s demand that Germany accept Palij, and live up to their moral responsibility”.
According to the Justice Department, Jakiw Palij obtained his US Citizenship by concealing his Nazi past. Judge Allyne Ross, who presided over the Palij case found that Palij had trained for his Nazi service at the SS-run Trawniki Training Camp and that on November 3 and 4, 1943, “in a brutal spate of killing,” Trawniki guard units “slaughtered Trawniki’s entire inmate population” of some 6,000 Jewish civilians. Later, Palij served in the Deployment Company, “a unit that perpetrated numerous atrocities against Polish civilians and others.”
Palij’s citizenship was stripped three years ago, and he has been ordered deported to Germany. Yet he remains in the U.S. because Germany has refused to accept him and other Nazi war criminals who have escaped justice. According to recently released documents from the Justice Department “For more than thirty years, the U.S. Government has requested that Germany permit the return of U.S. deportees who assisted in persecution during World War II. Despite numerous high-level requests from the U.S. Government, including several formal diplomatic notes, the German government has repeatedly stated that it has no legal obligation to do so”.
At 11 AM, 50 students and staff members from the Shalhevet High School for Girls will rally outside of Palij’s house in queens, located at 33-18 89th street in Jackson Heights, to express outrage at Palij’s continued presence in the United States.
At 1 PM, 200 students and staff members from Rambam Mesivta High School will rally in front of the German Mission to the UN located at 871 1st Avenue/48th Street, and demand that Germany immediately move to extradite Palij and put him on trial for his complicity in the murder of thousands of people.
Date: Monday 11/9/09
The 71st Anniversary of Kristallnacht
Morning Rally – 11:00 AM
Location: Palij’s Home – 33-18 89th Street, Jackson Heights, NY
Afternoon Rally – 1:00 PM
Location: German Mission to UN – 871 1st Avenue, New York, NY
For more information, contact
Rabbi Zev Friedman
516-371-5824 Ext 105
[email protected]