The Government Secretariat
Government Decision number 1250, December 28, 2003.

Decision also be downloaded here on doc format

A. Recognition of Rights and Restitution of Jewish Property
B. Rights of Jews who left Arab Countries as Refugees

Deciding unanimously:

A. Recognition of Rights and Restitution of Jewish Property

1) The State of Israel will consolidate a multi-year general policy on the subject pertaining to the recognition of rights and restitution of Jewish property in all areas and for all the relevant countries across the world.

2) The State of Israel, along with other Jewish organizations will centralize and lead, in Israel and abroad, the treatment pertaining to the recognition of rights and restitution of Jewish property - both private and public/communal - of Jews following the Holocaust (with or without heirs). The State of Israel, through the assistance and cooperation of Jewish organizations, as will be required, will act in conjunction with national and international bodies, different groups involved in the subject matter, the Jewish Agency and government bodies abroad.

3) A ministerial committee will be established on the subject matter of recognition of rights and restitution of Jewish property. The ministerial committee will consist of: Minister Natan Sharansky (responsible for Jerusalem, social and Diaspora affairs), (chairman), Minister of Justice (member), Minister of Foreign Affairs (member), Minister of Housing and Absorption (member) and Minister Meir Shetreet (member). The chairman of the Jewish Agency will be a permanent guest member.

The functions of the ministerial committee will be to consolidate a general policy as stated in the above-sections 1 and 2. This general policy will be updated annually and will be considered as the main source of policy in all issues regarding the restitution of Jewish property, subject to the Government's policy and in coordination with Israel's foreign policy. The general policy and the yearly program will be presented to the Government for its implementation.

4) a. A steering committee will be established on the subject matter of recognition of rights and restitution of Jewish property. The steering committee will consist of: A delegate of the Minister Natan Sharansky (responsible for Jerusalem, social and Diaspora affairs), a delegate of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (chairman), a delegate of the Ministry of Finance (member) and a delegate of the Ministry of Justice (member). The chairman of the Jewish Agency will be a permanent guest member.

b. The steering committee will be subordinated to the ministerial committee. According to the government decisions pertaining to the subject matter, the steering committee will report to the ministerial committee and will be responsible for implementing the assignments imposed by the ministerial committee. The steering committee will centralize the handling of the subject and will act in conjunction with international bodies, for the purpose of coordinating a structured and coherent policy for the management of the process – as provided by the governmental decision.

5) The steering committee will be responsible on the subject pertaining to the recognition of rights and restitution of Jewish property and will prepare a first general report on the subject within six (6) months and subsequently an annual report. This report will be consolidated and debated upon by the steering committee and will then be presented before the ministerial committee. The report will detail the activities on the subject matter both in Israel and abroad. This report will also combine the different individual reports of the countries and organizations that are involved in the subject matter.

6) The ministerial committee and the steering committee will inform all government bodies concerned by this decision and all known Jewish organizations that are involved in the subject matter. The purpose of this notification will be to consolidate a uniformed and structured policy for the development of the process on the basis of centralizing the subject, as detailed by the State of Israel.

7) An appropriate budget will be allocated for this governmental decision as will be described by the Minister Natan Sharansky (responsible for Jerusalem, social and Diaspora affairs).

B. Rights of Jews who left Arab Countries as Refugees

This cabinet decision renews the March 3rd 2002 decision number 1544 relating to the "Registration of claims of Jews from Arab Countries" which itself renewed the September 28, 1969 decision number 34 on the subject. Coupled with Part A above, this decision will be broadened as detailed in the following sections.

1) The State of Israel will centralize and lead the handling of the subject pertaining to the rights and registration of claims of Jews who left Arab countries as refugees, in Israel and abroad. As such, the State of Israel will act in conjunction with national and international bodies, various organizations, Jewish communities that are involved in the subject, the Jewish Agency and government bodies outside of Israel, through the assistance and cooperation with various Jewish organizations, as will be required.

2) a) The Department for the Rights of Jews from Arab Countries which is under the auspices of the Head of Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice will continue to gather - as it did in the past – data, material, requests and documents on the subject matter. The Department will be responsible for the documentation of private and communal/public property claims and of the violation to the different rights of Jews from Arab countries. This will be achieved through combining databases of existing registrations in various organizations.

b) In order to create a centralized, coherent, consistent and trustworthy database, the following will be done: the existing information, which already includes a large number of documentation, will be processed and broadened. This will provide a basis and the ability to collect information through the documentation in different languages, considering the influx of requests following the advertisement of this subject.

c) The Ministry of Justice will advertise in several languages, through the different means of communication and through the internet. This publicity will create an echo both in Israel and abroad to the subject of Jews who left Arab countries. By virtue of the cabinet decisions on the matter, this advertisement will invite every interested party, including any person who has information, to come forward and to register his rights.

3) a) A steering committee will be established on the issue of the rights of Jews who left Arab lands as refugees. This steering committee will consist of: The Director General of the Ministry of Justice (chairman), the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (chairman), a delegate of the Minister Natan Sharansky (responsible for Jerusalem, social and Diaspora affairs) (member) and the Head of Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice - core member and coordinator of the steering committee.

b) The steering committee will be subordinated to the ministerial committee on the matter of recognition of rights and restitution of Jewish property. The steering committee will inform the ministerial committee on the development of the subject matter, and will perform responsibilities as will be characterized and assigned by the ministerial committee according to the governmental decision in this matter. The steering committee will centralize the handling on the subject and will act in conjunction with international bodies for the purpose of coordinating a coherent and consistent policy for the management of the process – as provided by the governmental decision.

4) The handling of the issue of registration and documentation will continue to be centralized at the Ministry of Justice, at the Department for the Rights of Jews from Arab Countries, under the auspices of the Head of Legal Assistance, through the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the office of Minister Natan Sharansky (responsible for Jerusalem, social and Diaspora affairs), the Jewish Agency, the World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries (WOJAC), the delegates of the Jewish communities and finally any additional relevant entities. These bodies will be involved according to their areas of knowledge and expertise.

5) The ministerial committee and the steering committee will inform all government bodies concerned by this decision and all known Jewish organizations that are involved in the subject matter. The purpose of this notification will be to consolidate a uniformed and structured policy for the development of the process - based on centralizing the subject, as specified by the State of Israel.

6) An appropriate and distinct budget will be attributed for this cabinet decision. The Ministry of Finance will allocate the distribution to the Ministry of Justice, for the purpose of building the necessary human resources, advertisement and documentation for the implementation of the governmental decision as will be coordinated between these offices."