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Haavara
(Transfer) Agreement Documents
Haavara
(Transfer) was a company established in 1935 as the the result
of an agreement between the Jewish Agency (the official Jewish
executive in Palestine) and the Nazi regime. The agreement was
designed to facilitate Jewish emigration to Palestine. Though
the Nazis had ordered Jewish emigrants to surrender most of their
property before leaving Germany, the Ha'avara agreement let them
retain some of their assets by transferring them to Palestine
as German export goods. Approximately 50,000 Jews emigrated to
Palestine under this arrangement.
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Example of certificate issued by Haavara to Jews emigrating
to Palestine:
CERTIFICATE
The
Trust and Transfer Office "Haavara" Ltd. places at the disposal
of the Banks in Palestine amounts in Reichmarks which have
been put at its disposal by the Jewish immigrants from Germany.
The Banks avail themselves of these amounts in Reichmarks
in order to make payments on behalf of Palestinian merchants
for goods imported by them from Germany. The merchants pay
in the value of the goods to the Banks and the "Haavara" Ltd.
pays the countervalue to the Jewish immigrants from Germany.
To the same extent that local merchants will make use of this
arrangement, the import of German goods will serve to withdraw
Jewish capital from Germany.
The
Trust and Transfer Office,
HAAVARA,
LTD.
We hereby confirm, that in accordance with the above arrangement,
we have transferred to-day, by order of Messrs. ______ the
sum of (Haavara) Reichmarks: _____ in payment of invoice dated
_____ as per order dated ___. Equivalent of above amounting
to ___ has been received by us. Dated ____ The above sum in
Reichmarks has been transferred to the exporter/s ________
of __________, (German)
The Haavara agreement was highly controversial. While it helped
German Jews to emigrate, it also provided a major market for
German goods in Palestine, thereby helping Germany's weak
economy at a time when many Jews felt that German goods should
be boycotted. The following passage is from an anti-Haavara
flier circulated in Palestine.
Until When Will the Yishuv
Support Hitler?
BOYCOTT Hitler's Products!
BOYCOTT German Movies!
Ivri!
Remember What the German Did to Your Brother
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