Charter of the Representative Council of the Jews of France

The representatives of large Jewish organizations in France, having recognized the absolute necessity of making a concentrated effort towards defending their rights and legitimate interests, wish to introduce the “Representative Council of the Jews of France” (C.R.I.F)

This Council, which represents the Jews of France as a whole, considers itself to be their solely qualified representative - both before public bodies and opinion and before foreign organizations and international authorities - since its position in regards to issues is deemed specifically Jewish.

The C.R.I.F., which will immediately assume its mandate, will seek recognition from the French government and will request that it be consulted in all matters pertaining to the C.R.I.F.'s program.

The C.R.I.F. will be composed of 13 members, regrouped as follows:

6 members representing the Central Israelite Consistory of France
5 members representing the General Defense Committee (Coordinating Committee)
1 member representing the Zionist Organization of France
1 member representing Jewish Youth (currently the Jewish Youth Action Committee)

As soon as the time is ripe, the C.R.I.F. intends to participate in an International Jewish Representation that, by virtue of its composition and structure, shall be qualified to represent Jews in each of their respective countries.

The C.R.I.F. will support the efforts of the above mentioned Jewish Representation in order to encourage recognition of this body at the Peace Conference and among all national or international authorities responsible for restoring the world after the war.

The C.R.I.F. plans to seek the collaboration of all other qualified organizations in order to ensure the security and the rights of Jews in the countries where these values may have been compromised ...

The C.R.I.F. shall formulate the following demands:

(a) The creation of constitutional guarantees to avoid undermining the principles of equality of race and religion: recognition of the equality between Jews and their co-citizens; restitution of civic, political, economic and national rights of Jews by annulling all laws devoid of exceptions; equal treatment of foreign Jews and non-Jewish nationals.

(b) Just and full reparations for the material and moral damage caused to the Jews, namely: restitution of confiscated property to the Jews, regardless of their current possessor; reintegration of civil servants and agents, as well as Jewish employees who were dismissed from their positions; recognition of the eviction period of all civil servants, agents or employees as a period of active service; or giving them the right to advancement or to indemnity, which they could have claimed had they not been forcibly retired; reestablishment of Jewish social, cultural or economic institutions or charities whose activities were suspended or forbidden due to the anti-Jewish policy.

(c) The state institution of a liberal emigration and immigration policy, … that does not discriminate against Jews.

(d) Participation of Jews on an equal footing with the other citizens of their nation in the efforts towards repairing the spoils of war and reconstructing the country, as well as furthering their reintegration in the various strata of post-war social and economic activity

(e) The C.R.I.F. will support the claims of the Jewish Agency and other organizations regarding:

The immediate abolition of the White Book of 1939
The freedom of Jewish immigration and colonization in Palestine
The political status of Palestine.
In order to ensure normal and amicable co-existence of all sectors of the population, the C.R.I.F. will maintain efforts aimed at reaching the most inclusive agreement between the Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine within a democratic spirit.
It is clear that the national status of the Jews in Palestine shall in no way affect that of Jews in other countries or the ties linking them to their homeland.

The C.R.I.F. pays homage to all of the Jewish activities that have already contributed to the defense of Jews and the liberation of the country, and will support these actions in order to make them even more efficient.

Source: Zionist Archives, Jerusalem, Z4/10.300