Holocaust survivors’ fear losing reparations over facial recognition app

January 28, 2025 by Pesach Benson
Read on for article

A controversial new requirement for Holocaust survivors to prove their existence using a facial recognition app has sparked frustration and anger among some Holocaust survivors.

Mirjam Lapid, a Holocaust survivor, lights a torch in the ceremony marking the Holocaust Memorial Day in Yad Vashem

The move, announced by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), mandates that approximately 70,000 survivors globally must verify their identity annually via the “Paneem” app starting in 2025. The measure was enacted to comply with German government demands.

As of 2024, the German government has paid approximately $90 billion in indemnification to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from Nazi persecution through negotiations from the Claims Conference. In 2024, the Claims Conference distributed approximately $535 million in direct compensation to over 115,000 survivors in 84 countries and allocated approximately $888 million in grants to over 300 social service agencies worldwide that provide vital services for Holocaust survivors, such as home care, food, and medicine.

However, advocates for survivors living in Israel criticized the app as an unnecessary technological and bureaucratic burden on elderly individuals.

“This requirement is a significant obstacle for survivors, especially those without family support. Given their advanced age and health conditions, we should be making their lives easier, not more difficult,” said Orly Sivan, CEO of the Tel Aviv-based Aviv Association for Holocaust Survivors.

“As an organization that is well aware of the difficulties and bureaucratic barriers that Holocaust survivors face in exercising their rights, we are very concerned about the implications of the new requirement that does not take into account the situation and cognitive and digital abilities of Holocaust survivors in Israel,” she added.

A spokesperson for the Claims Conference told TPS-IL that the Paneem app is “successfully operating” in most countries where survivors now live. She added that after three weeks, more than half of the Holocaust survivors living in Israel successfully registered.

“This achievement was made possible thanks to the various support channels operated by the Claims Conference in collaboration with organizations supporting the Holocaust survivor population in Israel,” the spokesperson said.

“We are aware of the challenges related to this new system for survivors in Israel and are working closely with organizations, authorities, and government ministries to provide the most comprehensive assistance to Holocaust survivors. The Claims Conference is committed to ensuring that all Holocaust survivors receive their full entitlements and will not stand down until every survivor in Israel is registered,” she added.

The average age of Holocaust survivors in Israel is 87, with many living alone and grappling with health limitations.

“Considering their advanced age, their health condition, and the challenges that come with this age, the expectation is that it is precisely in these years that the bodies that pay compensation to Holocaust survivors will find ways to make things easier for Holocaust survivors and reduce the bureaucracy required to exercise their rights,” Sivan said.

For these individuals, the task of downloading and using a smartphone app, managing a steady camera, and navigating technical instructions is daunting, if not insurmountable. The association said it has been inundated with complaints from survivors unable to download the app or understand how to use it.

On Monday, the world commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland by Soviet soldiers in 1945.

George Foster, President of the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors & Descendants, told J-Wire: “I understand that this app is in use in Australia. As the article mentions, there are indeed survivors who find difficulty with any such computer-related technology. Of course, such life certificates have been in place for many years, however the Paneem app has the advantage that there is no need for such paper certification, and it is then instantaneous. However, I believe that use of the app is not compulsory, and the survivor can apply to continue with the paper certificate.
Of course, it will for some be difficult and require assistance from family or others, which in itself is anxiety-provoking for survivors who are already suffering as a result of their experience. I know that JewsihCare is already assisting survivors with this technology and have been assisting with life certificates since their inception. Should any survivor require assistance, they should contact JewishCare immediately.”

Speak Your Mind

Comments received without a full name will not be considered
Email addresses are NEVER published! All comments are moderated. J-Wire will publish considered comments by people who provide a real name and email address. Comments that are abusive, rude, defamatory or which contain offensive language will not be published

Got something to say about this?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from J-Wire

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading