05 November 2003

O'Donnell: U.S. Holocaust Issues Office Promotes Justice for Victims, November 5, 2003

(Special Envoy Edward O'Donnell before Senate committee)

The U.S. Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues develops and implements policy on Holocaust era assets, compensation for losses during the Holocaust, and Holocaust remembrance "in a manner that complements our commitment to democracy, pluralism, human rights and tolerance in a Europe that is whole and free," said office director Edward O'Donnell November 5 in Washington.

The office promotes "a measure of justice for victims of the Holocaust and their families as an expression of our country's commitment to human rights and human dignity," O'Donnell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which was considering President Bush's request to grant him the rank of ambassador during his tenure as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.

Adding that education is the "bedrock of the U.S. Administration's programs to counter anti-Semitism," O'Donnell said he is committed "to the high importance that this Administration places on seeking assistance and justice for Holocaust survivors, in promoting education about the Holocaust that will support efforts to stop anti-Semitism and in memorializing those who suffered."

Following is the text of O'Donnell's testimony as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)

Edward Baxter O'Donnell, Jr.
Nominee for Rank of Ambassador as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues

Statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
November 5, 2003

Mr. Chairman, Senators, ladies and gentlemen. I am honored to appear before you on behalf of my nomination for the rank of Ambassador as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.

I am very appreciative that the President and Secretary Powell selected me for this position. If the Senate confirms me for this rank, I commit to pursue the objectives our two branches of government and the American people share -- to help right past wrongs, bring a dignified measure of justice to Holocaust survivors and their families, and to make sure that we and the international community remember the lessons of the Holocaust.

I have been in the Foreign Service for 28 years, serving in Washington, Europe and Latin America. I was involved in various capacities with Holocaust issues during several of my assignments. As a young officer on the German Desk in the early 1980s, I supported efforts to help Holocaust survivors who were coming out of the Soviet Bloc countries and had missed deadlines to file claims with the German government. I worked for then Under Secretary Stuart Eizenstat as his Executive Assistant during the negotiations he led with the Germans, the Austrians and the French. Both personally and professionally, I am committed to the high importance that this Administration places on seeking assistance and justice for Holocaust survivors, in promoting education about the Holocaust that will support efforts to stop anti-Semitism and in memorializing those who suffered.

I want to especially recognize and thank my family for their support over my Foreign Service career. Much love and thanks to my wife Beth and to my mother and father who always supported me and were understanding of those years when we took the grandchildren to some distant country. Many thanks to my children -- Christina, Teddy, Susannah and Bradley -- who followed me from country to country. And to my grandchildren -- Mickey and Julie who hopefully will have the same love of languages and different cultures that I do.

The Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues is dedicated to promoting a measure of justice for victims of the Holocaust and their families as an expression of our country's commitment to human rights and human dignity. Approximately 2,000 Holocaust survivors and many of their family members attended the "Tribute to Holocaust Survivors: A Reunion of a Special Family," at the 10th Anniversary of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum this past weekend in Washington. President Bush wrote to the Holocaust survivors: "The lessons and stories of the Holocaust reveal an enduring truth: that evil is real, but hope endures. As we honor the memory of the victims of this dark and horrific time in human history, we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of freedom, tolerance, and compassion."

Two weeks ago, I testified before the European Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on "Anti-Semitism in Europe." I very much appreciate that opportunity early on in my tenure as Special Envoy to explain Administration policy and to detail practical measures we are taking to counter anti-Semitism. This issue will continue to be a focal point of my work and a top priority. For the next three months, I will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research. This work is vital for future generations of Europeans to both explain the horrors of the Holocaust and also to promote the importance of respect and tolerance for all persons and religions.

The bedrock of the U.S. Administration's programs to counter anti-Semitism is education. This is an area where I feel very comfortable -- I studied to be a teacher in college and were it not for serving my country in the U.S. Army, and later in the Foreign Service of the State Department, I might have become a high school principal in Tennessee. Both my mother and mother-in-law were educators in Tennessee and I have a deep and abiding commitment to the importance of history and learning the lessons of the past to ensure a better future. There is no better example of how important the study of history is than the horror of the Holocaust and the lessons it provides us about the importance of respect for other religions and cultures.

The Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues develops and implements U.S. policy with respect to Holocaust era assets, compensation for losses during the Holocaust, and Holocaust remembrance. This is done in a manner that complements our commitment to democracy, pluralism, human rights and tolerance in a Europe that is whole and free. Our office is helping implement major agreements negotiated in the 1990s which provide payments from German, French and Austrian compensation funds for victims and their families. I serve on the boards of the German and French Foundations and of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims, and on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council.

In closing, I want to thank the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for considering me for this unique position and high honor. If confirmed I promise to work diligently to help Holocaust survivors and their families obtain the assistance they need and deserve. I also commit that I will do my part to promote the study and understanding of the tragedy of the Holocaust and what we can learn from its bitter lessons.

Thank you for this opportunity to explain my background and my initial thoughts on the challenges ahead. I look forward to your questions.

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