Critic of Swiss neutrality ousted

Singer (right) maintains that Swiss neutrality during the Second World War was a crime Keystone

Israel Singer, a longstanding critic of Swiss neutrality in the Second World War, has been fired from his position as chairman of the World Jewish Congress (WJC).

Singer’s departure follows a chaotic period for the group, which began when its Swiss affiliate discovered $1.2 million (SFr1.4 million) in money transfers between accounts in New York, Switzerland and London.

“Israel Singer is no longer associated with the World Jewish Congress or any of its affiliates,” the organisation reported in a statement in an internal newsletter sent to staff members and other officials.

“For his work on behalf of Soviet Jewry… exposing the Nazi past of Kurt Waldheim, securing nearly $20 billion in Holocaust restitution, and for being a leader for the Jewish dialogue with the Christian and Muslim religions, the Jewish world owes Israel Singer a tremendous debt of gratitude,” the newsletter continued.

The WJC, which represents Jewish communities in more than 80 countries around the world, was unable to give the reason for Singer’s departure, but it is thought to be linked to an audit into financial irregularities.

The chairman of the WJC had made himself unpopular in Switzerland with his comments about the country’s wartime record. He said in 2005 at a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp that Swiss neutrality was a “crime in the face of the Holocaust”.

He later told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper that “Switzerland was not involved in the war like other countries in Europe – it cannot be compared to the culprits or the collaborators.”

However, he added that the Swiss should not be under any illusions about their wartime past.

Singer was also a key player during the late 1990s in the battle over Swiss dormant bank accounts dating from the Second World War and retribution for Holocaust victims.

Financial control

In February 2006, Singer had to give up all financial responsibilities within the WJC owing to poor financial management.

In November 2004, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SFJC) demanded an internal audit of the WJC’s Geneva office.

The dispute centred on $1.2 million, which Singer was alleged to have deposited in a Swiss bank account, before transferring it to accounts in London and New York.

The money was eventually returned, but the transfers led to other financial questions, in particular whether controls were adequate.

This resulted in an investigation by the New York State attorney general’s office, which concluded last year that Singer had violated his fiduciary responsibilities and found problems with the organisation’s financial controls and fundraising practices. The office did not find any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, however.

SFJC president Alfred Donath said he was rather sad about the political end to a man who had long played an important role in the WJC.

Donath hoped the WJC would “draw all possible conclusions from this affair”.

But he added that the organisation had to become more democratic and work to restore its image.

Power struggle?

The WJC has been plagued recently by internal conflict, with mutual recriminations among senior staff members and bad blood between the headquarters in New York and some of the regional affiliates – especially the Israel office chaired by Shai Hermesh from Israel’s ruling Kadima party.

On Thursday, Israeli newspapers were also hinting at serious differences within the WJC.

According to the Haaretz newspaper, European and Israeli leaders of the WJC expressed “shock” at the unexpected move by WJC President Edgar Bronfman and threatened to pull their branches out of the organisation unless he went back on his decision to fire Singer.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

The World Jewish Congress is an international federation of Jewish communities with its headquarters in New York and headed by billionaire businessman and philanthropist Edgar Bronfman.

Founded in 1936, the group is well known for its campaign to win restitution from Swiss banks holding the assets of Holocaust victims, fighting anti-Semitism, and lobbying to allow the Jews of the Soviet Union to emigrate.

Key facts

The former chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Israel Singer, maintains that Swiss neutrality during the Second World War was a crime.
However, he understands that the Swiss had no other choice at the time.
But he says that more needs to be done to ensure that the Holocaust era is engraved on the Swiss conscience.
Singer’s comments caused indignation in Switzerland and were unanimously rejected.
Singer reserved praise for the Bergier report into Switzerland’s wartime dealings, saying Switzerland had “finally learned to criticise itself” and had achieved “a certain honesty of which other countries were incapable”.