A neo-Nazi group calling itself “Odessa” claimed today that it had bombed last Friday the car of Nazi-hunter Serge Klarsfeld and also threatened Klarsfeld’s life. An anonymous letter received by the French news agency, Agence France Presse, warned that unless “The Jews stop persecuting our comrades we shall have to envisage an extreme solution” for Klarsfeld.
Klarsfeld and his wife, Beate, have been active for years in tracking down wanted Nazi war criminals and have campaigned vigorously for elimination of the statute of limitations on the prosecution of Nazi war criminals in West Germany. The statute was abolished by a majority vote of the Bundestog last Tuesday. The Bundesrat acted similarly last Friday. (See P.4)
Klarsfeld said the bomb, which wrecked his car in an underground garage of the building where he lives, was probably “retaliation” for his activities against the statute of limitations. He and his wife have since left their flat and are staying at an undisclosed address under police protection. “Odessa” was the code name of a secret organization that smuggled wanted Nazi war criminals out of Europe in the immediate post-war years. The group that adopted that name here is unknown to police.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
