David Littman
ONE OF the most articulate and fearless advocates for human rights, particularly concerning antisemitism and anti Zionism, David Littman fought passionately against the abuse of women and children, especially when it involved religious discrimination. He was the World Union for Progressive Judaism delegate to the UN Human Rights Council and later Human Rights Committee since 1986.
Sadly, I never met David but as chair of the WUPJ Advocacy and Interfaith Committee, we corresponded frequently. We would have a continual stream of emails for days, while David prepared our statements for him to read in the UN HRC chamber.
David earned his BA and MA degrees in Modern History and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin. In 1959 he married Egyptian born writer Gisele Bat Ye’or and they moved to Lucerne.
In Switzerland David soon became involved in a clandestine humanitarian mission to evacuate Jewish children from Morocco. He and his wife and daughter posed as Swiss Christians, and he set up a system of sending young Jews to Israel via Switzerland, ostensibly for a holiday. “Operation Mural”, as it became known, sent 530 of these children to Israel, a dangerous activity, as the local authorities grew wise to what was happening. Later the children’s families joined them in Israel. David was recognised by the State of Israel for his work, and in 2008 by President Peres and some key Mossad agents who were, unknown to David, involved with the operation.
David and Gisele began publishing studies on the Middle East, and in 1986 he became a delegate for WUPJ and other organisations at the UN Comission on Human Rights in Geneva. In 1987 he caused the whole Russian delegation to walk out, when he brought Natan Sharansky to speak on behalf of the Russian Refusniks.
Since the late 1990s David prepared statements on the illegal sex trade, slavery, female genital mutilation and generally on violence against women. He spoke eloquently against the continual anti-Israel, antisemitic diatribes that many in the Human Rights Council continually placed on the UN agenda. He attacked Iran for the stoning of women and allowing marriage of girls aged only 9 years. He exposed numerous blood libels, particularly the Syrian Blood libel in the 1990s, clashing with many diplomats in the process.
David was not without his detractors. For him, diplomacy became secondary to speaking up for those unable to speak for themselves. He never flinched from his perceived duty to expose hypocrisy and racism, pushing out the boundaries to make his point. David was admired by many diplomats unable to say what they really felt.
Even from his hospital bed he would write his statements to read later that day at the Human Rights Council.
David was one of the very few voices in Geneva who spoke up for Israel and the fundamentals of liberal, Progressive Judaism. For me, David was a larger than life character who proved that you achieved nothing by being intimidated. He is survived by his wife Gisele, children and grandchildren.