A Bipartisan Effort to Aid Victims of the Holocaust

As the Islamic State (ISIS) continues its genocidal rampage on Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, one of the many atrocities it is committing is the destruction and pillaging of irreplaceable artifacts and antiquities.

In many cases, the objects being destroyed are far more than historic relics; they are irreplaceable remnants of people and events with incredible significance to Christians and others of faith.

To the casual observer, it might seem a curious use of time and energy for ISIS to go out of its way to engage in this barbaric activity. But to the student of history, it is hardly the first time that a violent, intolerant and barbaric army has focused its sights on eradicating all symbols of a specific people or religion.

During World War II, the Nazi Regime stole, confiscated, or otherwise took approximately 650,000 works of art as it swept through Europe on a mission to eradicate the Jewish people and every object associated with the Jewish people. Some described this as the “greatest displacement of art in human history.” I call it an anti-Sematic theft of epic proportions.

Despite several decades of efforts in both the U.S. and Europe to ensure that this stolen artwork was returned to its rightful owners, many such pieces still exist in the U.S. while the rightful owner or heir has been blocked from pursuing adjudication of their claim because of state statutes of limitations or other procedural complications. In some cases, the statute of limitations had already expired when World War II ended.

Fortunately, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has introduced a bill to begin to right this wrong. Senators Cornyn (R-TX), Cruz (R-TX), Schumer (D-NY), and Blumenthal (D-CT) have joined together to introduce the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act. This legislation, if enacted, would create a six-year statute of limitations for claims arising from the theft or other wrongful taking of artwork during the Holocaust.

Simply put, the legislation will ensure that victims of the Holocaust and their heirs – who have already endured so much – will not be denied an opportunity to reclaim what was stolen from them because of unreasonable procedural hurdles.

This bipartisan legislation represents one way that the U.S. can lead the way in righting a past wrong, while pointing the way forward as we look to address the atrocities now being perpetrated by ISIS.

We commend Senators Cornyn, Cruz, Schumer, and Blumenthal, and call on Congress to send the HEAR Act to the President for his signature.