History of France Intolerance in Algeria-Middle east Prospect -Part 3

History of intolerance of France in Algeria
Illustrated in particular by that of Oran
and Prospect for the Middle East
By Didier Bertin - February 5, 2010

PART 3

B-Anti-Semitism in the French city

1-Local Anti-Semitism until 1939

The arrival of French troops in Algeria in 1830 was real opportunity of emancipation for the Jews.
The surrendering Act signed by the Dey of Algiers on July 5, 1830, stated that the French Chief General guaranteed the respect of  all people freedom classes, their religions, their properties, their businesses, their industries, and their women." This text abolished the hierarchy that placed the Jews under Muslims.
In 1859 the Jewish population of Oran was increased by the arrival of the Moroccan Jews from Tetouan. Tetouan’s Jews played an important role in Oran and kept some ties with their hometown. Tetouan is a Moroccan city, which  had relations with Spain from 1915 when it became the capital of Spanish Morocco created in 1912.
In Oran, few Jewish families requested French nationality under the Senatus Consultum of 1865. Adolphe Cremieux (1796-1880), Chairman of the Jewish Consistory of Paris in 1843, then Minister of Justice in 1870, after the fall of the Empire, was very concerned by the miserable situation of Jews in Algeria and thought that their integration to the French community would improve their lot. He obtained the approval on October 24, 1870, of a decree, which granted the French citizenship to all Jews living in Algeria and imposed therefore the predominance of the laws of the Republic on those of Rabbis. From the French point of view; this decree was also a way to increase the number of Europeans in Algeria with people who may easily integrate the French culture. 34 574 Jews of Algeria became French citizens by Cremieux’ s Decree. One exception should be mentioned: The Jews of the Saharan Oasis (Mozabites) did not get the French Nationality and were assimilated to Natives as Muslims. They only became French Citizens after their emergency evacuation to France by the French army in 1962. It is highly regrettable that Jewish Community accepted easily during 92 years such an unfair segregation among themselves.
When Jews became French citizens in 1870 with the related electoral rights, many Christians and conservative Muslims had a virulent anti-Semitic reaction.
The conservative Muslim did not accept that Jews were privileged, while virtually none of them had applied for the same privilege under the Senatus Consultum of 1865, which would have forced them to abandon the dominance of Islamic laws. This reaction might also originate from the disorder caused in the usual hierarchy in Muslim countries which placed Jews under Muslims with the rank of Dhimmi. The local Europeans rebelled against the fact that Jews may have an official influence by voting and thus emerged from the shadow.

Algeria and particularly Oran expressed an anti-Semitic hatred that had nothing to envy to that of Germany in 1930.  This phenomenon was particularly strong in Oran, because of its large Jewish community especially in proportion of the whole population of the city.  However the arguments of Anti-Semitics people were irrational since with 16% of the population, Jewish community was not able to have a decisive influence in elections. In fact for the populace of Oran the main reproaches to Jews were not to stay negligible and silent.  Among 220 000 French citizens,  Jews were only  35 000 in 1960.
 About 20% of the Jews of Oran lived below the poverty line in 1930; simple workers accounted for nearly half the Jewish population.
The low economic level of Jews is the reasons of their concentration in cities and they were rarely colonists.

Anti-Jewish leagues were created in 1892 in Oran. The Dreyfus affair, which started in 1894, amplified the anti-Jewish riots and in 1897 the European local populace demanded the revocation of  Cremieux’ s decree, after having looted the Jewish shops.
During that year a candidate officially "anti-Jews", Mr. Gobert, won the municipal elections of Oran. Mr. Gobert became the first “anti-Jews mayor of this pestilential city.
Algeria was also a favorite ground for the development of the ideologue of the French anti-Semitism: "Edouard Drumont.  He was elected Member of Parliament in Algiers in May 1898. Edouard Drumont had  published in 1886, "The Jewish France" a manifesto of  anti-Semitism, and the same year, "Jewish France facing public opinion" and in 1891"The Will of an anti-Semitic man". He strongly opposed the retrial of Dreyfus (1897-1898), he requested legal action against Emile Zola; in 1899, he demanded the abrogation of  Cremieux’s Decree.
After the World War 1, another anti-Jews leader of Oran, Dr. Molle created the Unions of Latin people against the Jews (one third of French people of Oran being of Spanish origin). Like the plague,  these Unions proliferated in Oran.
In 1925, the anti-Jews "Dr Molle" won "overwhelmingly Municipal Elections" of Oran, became the second anti-Jews Mayor of the city and confirmed the «anti-Semitic and racist” status of this city."  On top, Dr Molle was also elected Member of Parliament after having created an Ultra-rightist Party “the People's National Party.”
In 1932 Oran elected a fascist named Pares as new anti-Jews Member of Parliament. At this occasion, Slogans in Oran were similar to those of Nazi Germany in the same period: "Your enemy is the Jew, he steals and exploits you."
• In 1935, the anti-Jews "Former Abbot Lambert" was elected the new Mayor of Oran in the tradition of this city.
The mayor, the former abbot Lambert attacked both Jews and the Popular Front in France. He allied with the Movement of fire Crosses and supported Franco.

The awful atmosphere in the city became paroxysmal in 1940 with the official pro-German French Government during World War 2.

As we can see the city was not deficient in pestilence to inspire Albert Camus in his writing of “the Plague.”

2 -Anti-Semitism of French State from 1940

After the defeat of French Army against Germany, the head of executive, Paul Raynaud suggested to President Lebrun to designate Marshal Petain as head of Executive. This was approved by the Presidents of Republic, Senate and House of Representatives.

Under the leadership of Marshal Petain, France became an objective ally of Germany enabling the latter to concentrate its forces on other targets than France.

On top, Marshal Petain enacted on October 3, 1940, racial laws against Jews in France and Algeria. Cremieux s decree was cancelled and the Jews were deprived of the French nationality.

The number of students and Jewish students was limited in high schools and universities to 3%. The Jews were also excluded from occupations such as Lawyers or Doctors in Medicine, and also from public education. Racist steps were taken in Algeria, more rigorously than they were in France.

 On 2 700 Jews excluded from the French civil service, 2 000 were in Algeria. Admiral Brial, responsible for enforcing the racial laws in Algeria, said that regarding Algeria that he should be particularly severe in the application of anti-Semitic rules.

 The Jewish Officers were expelled from the Army. The Minister of War issued the following note: "In the presence of non-religious Jews useful information can be found in the appearance of certain surnames in the choice of first names listed on acts of civil status and the fact that they might have family buried in Jewish cemeteries. All this information should permit to expel also Jews far from religion.

In Oran, a professor of Philosophy, Andre Benichou, opened a private School for Jews expelled from public Schools and invited Albert Camus to help him as teacher of Philosophy. Albert Camus taught from 1940-1942 and wrote at the same time "The Plague" taking place in Oran. This was an ideal period to observe Human kind mechanisms.

On November 8, 1942, the U.S. Army landed near Mers El Kebir and Arzew to surround Oran from West to East and faced with stiff resistance from French Army supporting of Marshal Petain. Resistance was weaker in Algiers and the Petain’s City of Oran surrendered only on November 10th.
The Jews of Algeria owed their lives  to the early coming of American army 1.5 years before Normandy and 2 years  after the French racist laws application  and less than one year after the adoption of the “Final Solution” by Nazis. French and German Authorities did not have the time to start deportation of Jews from Algeria to Death Camps.
Unfortunately, Jews had to wait almost an additional year to recover the French citizenship. As a matter of fact the restoration of Cremieux’s decree was not a first priority of Gaullists. Cremieux Decree was restored by General De Gaulle on October 20, 1943 after Rene Cassin, his adviser made a special request.  Non retro-activity legal principle would have involved anyway the decree restatement but when?

Rene Cassin was a Law professor, President of “Alliance Israelite Universelle” (a Jewish association for general education of children); writer of the Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UNO in 1948 and received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1968.
3. End of French presence and independence in 1962

Military men , who attempted to make a second coup in April 1961 and failed, decided to form a secret army to resist to the decision of Government to give independence to Algeria. They formed a violent group named OAS among others.  This was an Ultra-Rightist and racist anti-Arab Organization. The French People living in Algeria tended to approve the actions of such groups and this is not surprising in the light of Algeria’s History since 1870.

IV-CONCLUSION: Lessons should be learned from the Algerian History and in particular as regards Middle East.

We deeply regret that former victims may have joined their torturers. Only 15 years after World War 2, some Jews from ORAN sympathized with these basically anti-Semitic extremists and formed groups as “Commandos des Collines” and “France Insurrection.” They dreamed to remain in Algeria with privileges and were afraid of the Arab retaliations.

Such distorted view may be seen in Israel among people coming from North Africa and who joined there Ultra-Rightist parties which make uneasy peace process.  Unexpectedly this distorted view was later strengthened by people coming from Russia.

We saw that in Algeria discrimination, racism, multi-level citizenship, refusal of a country to a nation and Fascism have created an irremediable hostility between two peoples. The rise of Ultra-Right in Israel and in particular of the racist party of Lieberman reminds us some painful episodes of the war in Algeria.