[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 495 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 495

     Commending the people of the Republic of Albania on the 60th 
 anniversary of the end of World War II for protecting and saving the 
 lives of the majority of Jews living in Albania during the Holocaust.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2005

  Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Wexler, Mrs. 
Kelly, Mr. McGovern, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Kirk, Mrs. 
   Maloney, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Ms. 
   Wasserman Schultz) submitted the following resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Commending the people of the Republic of Albania on the 60th 
 anniversary of the end of World War II for protecting and saving the 
 lives of the majority of Jews living in Albania during the Holocaust.

Whereas at the start of World War II, approximately 600 Jews lived in the 
        Republic of Albania, of whom approximately 400 were German and Austrian 
        refugees, with the largest community in Kavaje;
Whereas Italy, which occupied and annexed Albania in April 1939, did not 
        systematically persecute Jews living in Albania;
Whereas approximately 200 Jewish refugees were housed at a camp in Kavaje;
Whereas approximately 100 Jewish refugees were taken to Berat where a small 
        indigenous Jewish community was located and where many refugees were 
        later protected by local Albanians;
Whereas after Germany occupied Albania in 1943, some Albanian clerks issued 
        identity papers to protect many of the Jewish refugees of Kavaje as the 
        refugees traveled to and hid in Tirana;
Whereas when the Gestapo ordered Jewish refugees in Tirana to register in 1944, 
        some Albanians obtained false identity papers for many of the refugees;
Whereas many Muslim and Christian Albanians considered it a matter of national 
        pride to help Jews during the Holocaust;
Whereas, due in large part to the actions of many individual Albanians, the 
        majority of the Albanian Jewish community survived the Holocaust;
Whereas 63 Albanians have been designated Righteous Among the Nations by Yad 
        Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in 
        Jerusalem, Israel; and
Whereas, on August 3, 2005, representatives of the the Central State Archives of 
        Albania and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum signed an 
        agreement to conduct a thorough survey of Albania's Holocaust-related 
        records: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes and commends the people of the Republic of 
        Albania on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II for 
        protecting and saving the lives of the majority of Jews, both 
        native and refugee, living in Albania during the Holocaust;
            (2) encourages other countries to recognize those Albanians 
        who took action to protect Jews during World War II as having 
        displayed a high degree of courage; and
            (3) reiterates its support for close ties between the 
        United States and Albania.
                                 <all>