Holocaust Reparations The Holocaust was not only the greatest murder of all time but the greatest theft in the history of mankind. The Jewish people lost an estimated $72 billion in present day US money. The money and loot acquired during World War II should be given back to the Jewish People for a number of different reasons. Countries throughout Europe profited from the Jewish people including so-called neutral countries Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden. This poses the questing "How truly neutral were neutral Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal" (Chesnoff 43). These countries conspired with the Nazi's to hold, launder, and buy loot taken from the Jewish people. Gold that was being looted from occupied countries was being laundered through the Swiss banks to these other countries in an attempt to hide the fact that he gold was stolen. The gold that was looted helped to pay for multiple resources for the Nazi's throughout the war. The Swiss government provided the gas needed for the gas chambers at concentration camps. The Nazi's paid the Swiss with looted gold. The United States warned the Swiss government that the gold had been looted and that trade with the Nazis should be stopped. The Swiss ignored the warnings. In 1997 Stuart Eizenstat of the Secretary of State published a report that showed the "Swiss government knew the Nazi gold in its possession had been looted" (Distinguished A18). That was not the only trade the Swiss had with the Nazis, however. Just inside the borders of Switzerland trading of art, jewelry, and other items of value were being unloaded bought by the Swiss people from the Nazis (Bower 55). These items were property of Jewish people who had been sent to concentration camps. The Swiss were not the only country that traded with the Nazis. The country of Portugal traded a certain metal that was used for military purposes by the Nazis. Like with the Swiss, the Nazis paid their debt with looted gold form occupied countries.
