An expert working group has recommended that the SNCB/NMBS national railway apologize for the role it played in the deportations of Jews to death camps during the Second World War.
The 12-person group was set up by the federal government in the wake of a historical study. Documents show that the SNCB received nearly 51 million Belgian francs in the 1940s in the form of a tax credit.
“As far as recognition of the victims is concerned, the SNCB must not only express regret but also present an official apology for the role played by Belgian Railways at the time in organizing the deportation rail convoys,” stated one of the recommendations of the group headed by Françoise Tulkens, a former vice president of the European Court of Human Rights.
The company is also asked to implement various memorial initiatives and organize a day of remembrance to recall the tragedy of the deportations, for example, through an announcement in train stations.
A recommendation is also made to the federal government and all public administrations and bodies to integrate the moral dilemmas faced by the actors of the time into the training of managers, civil servants, magistrates, police and military personnel.
“It’s a question that’s more topical than ever,” Tulkens said as she presented the report, “The Belgian Railways and the Deportations During the Second World War,” to the Belgian Senate’s Committee on Institutional Affairs at the Parliament.
A monitoring committee must be established to monitor the implementation and impact of these recommendations.
The expert group called for a broader commitment to combat antisemitism, racism and intolerance, insisting that not only the federal government but also other levels of government and the private sector must be involved.
While the group is committed to reparation, it has not asked for compensation for the victims, 80 years after the events.
Michael Freilich, the only Jewish member of the Belgian Parliament and a special envoy to the European Jewish Association, said: “It is praiseworthy that this historical research has finally been completed, albeit many years overdue. For too long, too little attention was paid to the role of the Belgian railways during the Second World War. This report brings crucial new facts to light and reminds us that we must learn from the past.”
But recognition is not enough, he added. “The government must accept its responsibility and take concrete action, as the report proposes. It calls for tangible initiatives, such as education and commemoration projects, and more support for surviving victims and their families.”
Freilich advocates confiscating the money used to pay for the deportations, as it is now known that the Germans paid the Belgian railways to deport 25,843 Jews and 351 Roma from Belgium to concentration and extermination camps.
“This amount—equivalent to around €15 million [$15.7 million] today—should be confiscated by the state, as is usually the case with funds obtained through criminal activity,’’ he said.
“This would send an important message to the survivors and the families of the victims. These funds could then be used to fight racism, antisemitism and current threats against the Jewish community. In this way, we can ensure that the lessons of the past are effectively translated into policy,’’ Freilich said.
Originally published by the European Jewish Press.