NEW YORK – The World Jewish Congress (WJC) mourns the passing of former Israeli Ambassador David Peleg, who served as director-general of the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) until his death last week. Ronald S. Lauder, president of the WJC and also of the WJRO, praised the late Israeli diplomat as a “thoughtful and skilled professional who did not seek the limelight but instead fought tirelessly to secure a small measure of justice for the dispossessed victims of the Holocaust and their heirs.” Lauder extended his heartfelt condolences to Peleg’s children and grandchildren.
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David Peleg was born in Jerusalem in 1942 into a family of Polish origin. He completed elementary and secondary education in Jerusalem. Following his military service in the Israeli Defense Forces (1960–62), he studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his long diplomatic career, which began in 1965, Peleg was posted at the Israeli diplomatic missions in Lusaka, Atlanta, London, Washington, New York and Geneva. From 2004 to 2009, he served in Warsaw as Israel’s ambassador to Poland.
After leaving the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 2009, David Peleg was appointed director-general of the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO), the body tasked with leading negotiating with national and local governments to conclude agreements and ensure legislation concerning the restitution of looted property.
David Peleg, or "Pomi", as his friends called him, was not only a warm and caring individual and an experienced diplomat but also a great enthusiast of jazz music and a connoisseur of art.
The World Jewish Congress is a founding member of the World Jewish Restitution Organization.
