Mayer, Daniel
MAYER, DANIEL
MAYER, DANIEL (1909–1996), French socialist politician. Born in Paris, Mayer was a journalist by profession, and wrote for the socialist newspaper Le Populaire. After the fall of France during World War ii, he reorganized the Socialist Party, clandestinely editing the Populaire, and after the liberation became its general secretary. Mayer was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1946 to 1958 and from 1946 to 1949 held a number of ministerial offices – labor, public health, and veteran's affairs. He was also president of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs. He left parliament in 1958 to devote himself to the League for Human Rights of which he was president. In July 1977 he was elected president of the World Federation of the Human Rights League. Mayer was an active figure in Jewish affairs as president of ort. When French policy toward Israel took a hostile turn, Mayer emerged as a vigorous defender of the Israeli cause both as a speaker and writer. His publications include Etapes yougoslaves: producteur citoyen, homme (1962); Pour une histoire de la gauche (1966); and Les Socialistes dans la Résistance (1968).
[Shulamith Catane]