Rene Cassin is a French Jewish jurist. He was the head of the delegation that wrote the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights', which was adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Adopting the Zionist ideology, Cassin also lobbied for Israel in Europe regarding the establishment and support of Israel.
Rene Samuel Cassin (1887-1976) was born on October 5, 1887 in Bayonne, southern France. Cassin's family were Sephardic (Spanish) Jews from both sides.
Cassin, who completed his secondary education in the Mediterranean city of Nice in the south of France, also studied law in this city.
Rising academically in the field of law, Cassin served as a law professor at the universities of Aix-en-Provence and Paris.
René Samuel Cassin (5 October 1887 – 20 February 1976) was a French jurist known for co-authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Born in Bayonne, Cassin served as a soldier in the First World War during which he was seriously wounded. He was of Portuguese-Jewish descent.
Cassin, who was drafted into the army in World War I (1914-1918), fought on the Marne Front against the Germans on the side of the French army.
Adoption of Zionist ideology
Cassin joined the advocates of Zionism, which rose in the interwar period (1918-1939) and aimed primarily at the return of Jews to Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish state. During this period, Cassin became a well-known name among French dignitaries by leading important Jewish non-governmental organizations in Paris. He was appointed as France's ambassador to the League of Nations between 1924 and 1938.
When Germany invaded France in 1940 during World War II (1939-1945), Rene Cassin took refuge in England with some French politicians. These French exiles established a committee in London, the capital of England, to fight the Germans.
This committee was led by future French President Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970). Being among the directors of this committee, which claimed to represent France in the war against Germany, gave Rene Cassin great prestige in France and the USA.
In his propaganda programs on London Radio during World War II, Rene Cassin frequently demanded that all Jews support the USA-Soviet Union-Britain alliance and get involved in the war. Cassin claimed in these publications that if this alliance won the war, the Jews would become stronger and a Jewish state would be established.
Writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Rene Cassin, who also played a role in the establishment of the United Nations after the war, also played a leading role in writing the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights'. Rene Cassin was the head of the delegation that wrote the declaration written in 1948 and accepted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948. Cassin would later be accused of writing this declaration to benefit the Jews and Zionism's aims of establishing and expanding Israel.
Cassin, one of the leading figures of Zionism since the 1920s, played a leading role in the United Nations' decision to establish a Jewish state in Palestine in 1947. When Israel declared independence in 1948, Cassin lobbied for recognition of Israel in Europe. He also pioneered the establishment of the "Jewish Organizations Advisory Council".
Cassin, who later served as a judge, vice president, and president of the European Court of Human Rights, continued his lobbying efforts for Israel and intervened in France's domestic policies through his statements.
Rene Cassin criticized his old friend Charles de Gaulle, who was President of France from 1959 to 1969, for "not helping Israel enough." He also criticized the student movements and leftist movements that emerged in Europe, starting from France in 1968, as "anti-Israel".
Rene Cassin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968 for drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the same year, he was also given another human rights-themed award given by the United Nations General Assembly.
Cassin died in Paris, France, on February 20, 1976.