NEWS Friday, October 12, 2012 The Australian Jewish New s – jewishnews.net.au 15 THE NAZI HUNTER In your time at the Simon Wiesenthal of Mauthausen doctor Aribert Heim, Centre (SWC), you have uncovered the Dr Efraim Zuroff is the story of which also appears in the postwar escape of hundreds of Nazi war determined to book. In both cases, the children criminals to Western countries. These bring Nazi war found it very difficult to deal with efforts have influenced the creation of criminals to special laws in Canada (1987), justice. their parents’ alleged past. Zentai’s Australia (1989) and Great Britain children clung to their father’s denial (1991). How instrumental was the SWC of his participation in the murder of in prompting these countries to pursue Peter Balazs, although they had no such legislative measures? concrete proof, other than their The SWC was one of several father’s account. In the Heim case, the groups in each country that fought to daughter claimed never to have even convince these governments to take seen her father. legal action against the Nazi war criminals living in Canada, Australia Why did you decide to write the book? and the UK. The local Jewish com - Writing the book was in certain munity organisations, such as the respects a labour of love for the mem - Canadian Jewish Congress and B’nai ory of the victims of the Shoah and to B’rith in Canada, and the Executive explain my mission. It took me about Council of Australian Jewry and nine months. So far I have had many Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs wonderful moments, but my share of Council in Australia, usually played a frustrations as well. Writing a book is leading role in the lobbying efforts, ultimately like having a child. You put but our help was unique since we tremendous effort into creating, rais - were able to find numerous suspects ing and nurturing a child and to make the campaign for prosecu - you often have high expectations, but tion that much more effective. On the a child grows up and lives his or her other hand, we were a foreign organ - own life. isation, which has advantages and The Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s Dr Efraim Zuroff has spent more than disadvantages in such campaigns. “Zentai’s children Can you walk us through the process of three decades searching for the people who orchestrated and clung to their father’s finding the names of Holocaust denial of his perpetrators and their locations, implemented the Holocaust. Timna Jacks talks to the renowned verifying the details of their identities participation in the and eventually, watching them face a murder of Peter Balazs.” trial? Nazi hunter about his life’s work. Due to the urgency of our work, we have to proceed differently than Did members of your family go through agreed. During the decade since it was determination and Holocaust con - My job was to bring the evidence the Holocaust? the police, who start with a specific officially launched in Vilnius in July sciousness of its leadership. I want to to the attention of the Hungarian and Almost all my close relatives emi - crime and then try and find the per - 2002, OLC recorded the names of 634 commend the leaders of the Jewish Australian authorities and press grated to the US before World War I; petrators. We start with an allegation hereto unknown suspects, 102 of communities of Lithuania and them, especially the former, to take however, my maternal grandfather’s and then try to determine if it has any which were submitted to local prose - Romania especially, as well as Austria, legal action against him. In that youngest brother, his wife and two serious basis. Information reaches cutors. These names yielded seven and prefer not to comment on the respect, I was successful, since in sons were murdered in Lithuania and our office or other offices of the SWC official governmental investigations others. It is upsetting when local March 2005 Hungary asked for I am named for him. Recently, I learnt all over the world and we begin to of the crimes alleged to have been Jewish leaders refuse to cooperate Zentai’s extradition. I have no idea that apparently additional relatives, investigate whether there is any basis committed by the suspects, four with OLC, but their fear is palpable. whether Hungary will renew the on my father’s side, were also mur - to the allegation. The investigation arrest warrants, two extradition Only the really good ones, and they effort to extradite him following the dered in the Holocaust. I have to methods depend on the nationality of requests, and one trial with another are few and far between, can rise to recent Australian High Court deci - point out, however, that the Shoah the suspect and the location of the trial in the offing. But the impact of the occasion. sion barring his extradition. was never an important issue in our crime. We have an excellent OLC went far beyond its practical home while I was growing up and this researcher in Germany, Dr Stefan judicial results, focusing attention on You have recorded an extensive list of You have said in another interview that was not in any way unusual in Klemp, who has been working for us alleged Nazi criminals who have taken Zentai’s children have assured you that the highly important role played by Brooklyn, in homes of American- for about 14 years and has played a refuge in Australia, such as former their father is a good man, a good local collaborators in Eastern Europe born Jews. major role in our successes. In other Australian chess champion Karlis father, and never uttered an anti- in the mass murder of Jews, an countries we have hired historians Ozols, property developer Konrad Kalejs Semitic slur in their presence. You have important historical fact that is being What is Operation Last Chance II? and/or researchers to help verify the and Perth resident Charles Zentai, who unique insight into the personal stories minimised or hidden in most post- was due to be extradited to Hungary and the families of these alleged OLC II focuses on death camp accusations. I should point out that communist countries. but whose extradition was recently Holocaust perpetuators. Can you recall guards and members of the very few of the allegations, about 1.5 rejected by the High Court. How and reflect on these experiences? Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing per cent, lead to a prosecution. Aside Have Jewish communities in various involved have you been in the Zentai The story of my meeting with units) in the wake of the [John] from doing the detective work to find regions assisted your cause? Do they case and are you optimistic that he three of Zentai’s children in Perth, Demjanjuk conviction in Germany suspects and the historical research to share a commitment to the Nazi hunt? may eventually be extradited? which I relate in detail in my book, in May 2011. That verdict was the find the evidence, a lot of my work Every Jewish community is a sepa - I worked on the Zentai case for Operation Last Chance; One Man’s first time that a German court con - deals with creating political will to rate story. The responses, contrary to almost eight years. I was not involved Quest to Bring Nazi Criminals to victed a Nazi war criminal without prosecute Nazi war criminals because what most people would assume, are in the investigation since all the evi - Justice, was actually a very rare occur - any evidence of a specific crime most countries do not want to bring not based on the size of the commu - dence had already been collected rence. The only other such meeting against a specific victim. Basically, the these criminals to trial for a variety of nity, but rather on the courage and before I was even born. was with the illegitimate daughter court asserted that anyone who reasons – international embarrass - served in a death camp like Sobibor, ment, expenses and unpopular public whose sole purpose was the mass opinion locally. murder of Jews, was automatically Operation Last Chance (OLC) launched guilty of at least accessory to murder. in 2002 to facilitate the prosecution of That decision paved the way for all Nazi war criminals, primarily in post- death camp personnel and murder communist Europe and in areas where squad members to be prosecuted in the local population actively Germany, even without proof of a participated in the killing of Jews specific crime. So far we received the during the Holocaust. What did the names of 34 new suspects, but none operation yield? from the death camps or OLC dealt with eight serious cases, murder squads. Our biggest problem one of which, that of Dr [Aribert] is the lack of resources to publicise it Heim, was already known long before in Germany, where ads are very the project was launched. The expensive. Any help in this regard German police asked that he be would be greatly appreciated. named the number one target of the project when we launched it in For further information and enquiries: Germany in January 2005 and we Alleged Nazi war criminals who found refuge in Australia, from left, Konrad Kalejs, Karlis Ozols and Charles Zentai www.operationlastchance.org..