Jean Pierre-Bloch

Jean Pierre-Bloch (born Jean-Pierre Bloch; 14 April 1905 – 17 March 1999) was a French Resistant of the Second World War as an activist, being a former president of the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism.

He escaped, joined the internal Resistance in Dordogne and helped arrange (along with his wife Gaby Pierre-Bloch (d. 1996)) some of the first parachute drops into France of agents, arms and equipment sent by de Gaulle's headquarters in London.

He then joined General de Gaulle in London, heading the civilian section of the central bureau of intelligence and action (BCRA or secret services of Free France) from 1942 to 1943.

In this function, he secured the re-establishment of the Crémieux decree of 1871, which had naturalized Algerian Jews as French citizens and which the Vichy regime had abrogated.

In 1945, Jean Pierre-Bloch easily regained his seat in parliament, favoring an alliance with the French Communist Party and supporting Maurice Thorez as prime minister the following year.

He resigned in 1947 in order to direct (until 1953) the SNEP, a society charged with liquidating the assets of collaborationist newspapers outlawed after the Liberation.

He became president of LICA after the death of its founder Bernard Lecache and directed its journal, The Right to Live.