Activity of the Zionist Organisation in Germany - Testimony of Benno Cohn
Source : the Testimony of Benno Cohn at the Eichmann Trial in Jerusalem, 25 April 1961, Criminal Case 40/61. [The text is from the transcript of the simultaneous translation and may therefore include linguistic errors.]
Question: Can you tell the Court about the emigration of the German Jews and about your activity as head of the Zionist Organisation and what was done by the Palestine authorities?
A.: Yes. Immediately after the Nazis' rise to power there began the emigration of Jews from Germany. The Zionist Organisation was the very central guiding force in this, and our slogan was that whoever could leave, people who were not so old, people up to the age of 50, should attempt to leave the country as soon as possible. The Juedische Rundschau' devoted many articles to this subject. And so, emigration commenced. Our chief aim was naturally the Land of Israel and there was activity on the part of the more productive in terms of their occupations. This was a very widespread activity on the part of the Zionist Organisation. The central task was to prepare the prospective emigrants for their life in a country, which would be entirely new to them. There was also ideological preparation in the writings of Herzl, Pinsker and so on to prepare them in a Zionist spirit. I believe that this was a very successful undertaking and later on we were able to establish some agricultural centres.
Q.: Were there any special problem in the way of this movement for emigration?
A.: In Germany itself?
Q.: I speak of Jews in Germany.
A.: On the part of the German authorities because the line was the emigration of the Jews. We received encouragement from various economic circles, from Schacht and from the Economic Ministry and from senior officials, who after much hesitation and negotiation agreed to the transfer of money, the Haavara scheme. At that time the Haavara organisation was set up and a branch of Haavara was set up in Palestine and one also in Germany and through this arrangement, sums of money were transferred on behalf of people who emigrated to Palestine and were allowed to take with them capital, a thousand pounds, but in certain cases it was rather complicated - up to two thousand pounds sterling. Presiding Judge: Sterling? Mr. Bar-Or (General Attorney Office): Mr. Cohn, you spoke about this transfer, do you remember the name, the German name of this enterprise? How was it called in Germany? Witness Cohn: Capital transfer to Palestine. And there were many problems connected with this matter. This is the transfer of property to Palestine.… The Sarona people [Germans living in Sarona, Palestine] here in Palestine were already members of the Nazi branch in Sarona and they complained about this. We had differences of opinion on the German side in regard to this program and they were expecting an answer from high. And one day the decision came from high that this program should be continued, all the Jews should emigrate.
