Brothers For Resistance And Rescue By David Gur

exterminations started. On 5.4.1944 Joel Brand and Kasztner met for thefirst time with Dieter Wisliceny, an officer in Eichmann’s headquarters,and this was the beginning of negotiations with the Germans in order tosave Hungarian Jewry. These negotiations were later called by the nameof “Goods for Blood”. Since Brand had gone to Istanbul, Kasztner, as therepresentative of the Relief and Rescue Committee, led the negotiationswith Kurt Becher, an officer in Eichmann’s headquarters, for a traintransport from Hungary to Switzerland. This train did actually leave duringthe night between June 30 and July 1, 1944 with 1,685 Jews amongwhom leaders of the Jewish community, rabbis, wealthy people andmembers of the Zionist youth movements and, after hardships anddelays, its passengers arrived in Switzerland.After the war Kasztner and his family lived in Geneva, Switzerland. In1947 he was invited to give testimony in the Nuremberg trials and gave adeclaration in support of Becher.In December 1947 Kasztner made aliya, started his public work, was“Mapai’s” candidate for the Knesset and worked as a high official in theMinistry of Trade and Industry.In 1952 Malkiel Grünwald, a Jerusalem resident born in Hungary,published a mimeographed leaflet containing serious accusations againstKasztner and his connections with the Germans during the Holocaust andeven called for his extermination.On 1.1.1954 Grünwald was put on trial on charges of slander against agovernment official. The trial turned from an accusation against Grünwaldinto an accusation against Kasztner. Judge Benjamin Halevi foundGrünwald guilty on a sub-clause and gave him a one Lira fine. In spite ofthis, in his argumentation for the sentence, the judge accused Kasztner of“selling his soul to the devil”. An appeal against the sentence was filedand a new trial opened. However, before the end of the trial, Kasztnerwas shot dead by a ex-member of “Lehi”. After Kasztner’s death the trialcame to an end and his name was cleared.Katic MirkóBorn in Szabadka (Subotica) in 1918Died in 1943Member of “Hashomer Hatzair”Mirkó was a member of the ken in Újvidék (Novi Sad). After theHungarians conquered the area in 1941, he took part in anti-fascistactivities. He was caught by Hungarian gendarmes and on 3.1.1942 themilitary court sentenced him to forced labor. He was sent with a forcedlabor punishment unit to Ukraine.In 1943 he succeeded in crossing to the Russian side. He died in aprisoners’ camp.Brothers for Resistance and Rescue 144