LEADING SWISS INDUSTRIALIST,HONORED BY
AJCONGRESS, CALLS FOR GREATERUNDERSTANDING
BY HIS COUNTRYMEN OF TRAGEDY OF THEHOLOCAUST

      (October 26, 1998)  Aleading Swiss industrialist who played a behind-the-scenes role in bringing about therecent agreement between his nation's banks and the Jewish community overHolocaust-related assets, told an American Jewish Congress audience Thursday thatbetter understanding by his countrymen of the tragedy of the Holocaust, andempathy for its victims, would enhance the reconciliation process between the Swissand the Jewish people.

      Dr. Daniel Vasella, President of NovartisAG, the Swiss pharmaceutical firm that is one of the industry leaders worldwide,received the 1998 AJCongress Humanitarian Award at the Waldorf-Astoria, in greatpart because of Novartis' work in "genomics," the search for drugs to combatgenetic diseases, including breast and ovarian cancer. AJCongress occupies thepreeminent position in the Jewish communal world in exploring the ethical, legaland medical issues arising from research revealing that the Ashkenazi Jewishcommunity has higher rates than other communities of these diseases.

      The award to Vasella occurred followinga period of discord between the Swiss and the Jewish community regardingrestoration of Jewish assets held by Swiss banks. The signing of an agreement thissummer by the banks began to defuse the situation. Swiss Ambassador to the UnitedStates, Alfred Defago, who attended the dinner, expressed satisfaction thatreconciliation is proceeding.

      The selection of Vasella as an honoreeby a Jewish organization can serve as a sign of progress in that reconciliation,declared AJCongress President Jack Rosen at the dinner. "It is gratifying that themisunderstandings and differences that have recently marred relations between theJewish people and Switzerland are being put to rest and that the spirit of harmonythat existed in the past is being restored," Rosen said. He added, "Daniel Vasellaplayed a significant part in restoring that harmonious feeling through the efforts heundertook to encourage the settlement that now exists. He did this quietly, with littlefanfare."

      In his remarks, Vasella related hischanging reactions to the conflict. "During the past months," he said," I could notopen a newspaper without reading about a new accusation against the Swiss andtheir behavior during World War II. Over the months my feelings had slowlychanged from being deeply sorry for all the victims who were turned away at ourborder 55 years ago, and mostly sent back to an almost certain death.

      "But while I was feeling upset with mycompatriots for not acknowledging past mistakes and for procrastinating beforetaking corrective actions," he added, "I also felt increasingly angry for beingrelentlessly attacked in my identity as a Swiss citizen."

      "Then one evening," Vasella explained,"I watched television in my hotel room during a visit to New Jersey. I listened tointerviews of Holocaust victims in a Steven Spielberg documentary. I experiencedthe horrors of a man forced to push another man still alive and thirsty into thecrematorium, the guilt of a man whose life was saved because of his gift in playingthe violin, forced to play while others were shot by the camp commander. All thesuffering, the cruelty, the injustice, helplessness and sadness -- I could feel it. Myanger was gone. I understood again."

      Vasella used his experience to call forconscience on the part of the Swiss, but even more significantly, for empathy, whichhe defined as being distinct from pity and sympathy. "Empathy requires that wetemporarily give up our own identity, to discover the feelings and the context ofothers," he explained. "To develop true empathy, we not only must have suffered --which we almost all have in some way -- but we must own the key to our own soul,our true feelings.

      "This opens the door to understandingothers and when we understand, we can reflect. Conscience and empathy have towork hand in hand to guide us in our daily lives. But while the conscience hasalways a threatening and punishing aspect, empathy does not. So if there is one wishI can express, it is that empathy should increasingly guide our behavior."

      The result, Vasella said, would be"mutual respect based on a deeper understanding leading to compassion anddecency." He singled out the responsibility of leading companies, such as Novartis,"to uphold these values in our world today."

      In his comments, Ambassador Defagotermed the AJCongress award to Vasella as "just one more indicator that relationsbetween the Swiss and the Jewish people are going back on the normal track." Helauded the agreement and Vasella's "balanced judgment" in bringing it about. "Thisbalanced judgment is necessary in the debate on both sides," Defago said.