Paris Office: 30, Rue La Boetie, Paris 8, France Elysees 69-11, Cable: Wishcom, Paris Zachariah Shuster, European Direct'

Transcription

1 THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE Paris Office: 30, Rue La Boetie, Paris 8, France Elysees 69-11, Cable: Wishcom, Paris Zachariah Shuster, European Direct' 9 December 20, 1960 To: From: Subj: Foreign Affairs Department Paris Office Algeria 2 Following the conversations with Israeli representatives referred to in our memorandum concerning Algeria dated December 16, we again met today with two representatives of the Israeli government here. They indicated to us that the Israeli government would not favor any approach to the FLN at the present time for a variety of reasons: The FLN, which has been seeking to contact Jewish organizations, might use this meeting for propaganda for its own purposes on the international scene; Not only would this be harmful vis-a-vis the French government but, also, it might lead to dangerous reaction among the European population in Algeria, which has strong anti-semitic tendencies; Finally, the Israelis were not sure to what extent, if at all, FLN leaders could implement any guarantees they might give with regard to the safety of the Jewish population. The Israelis say, incidentally, that they are now convinced that there was nothing of a particular anti-semitic animus involved in any of the events in Algeria of the last fortnight, even including the destruction of the interior of the rue Randon synagogue. We are sure you will want to take these views into consideration with regard to possible contact with the FLN. It was agreed, in the same conversations, that if there were to be contact with the FLN leaders by persons who already have normal collaboration with them - e.g., certain Labor leaders in the U.S. - and if these persons were to intervene as individuals, on their own behalf so to speak rather than as representatives of any particular organization or group, and simply to tell the FLN leaders that any anti-jewish or anti-semitic incidents would hurt their cause, this might be useful, and would avoid the difficulties involved in any direct representation by a Jewish body. entation by Jei HERBERT B. EHRMANN, President nt JACOB BLAUSTEIN, Honorary President JOSEPH M BERNE Cleveland Vira Pro FREDERICK F. GREENMAN, Chm., Executive Board IRVING M. ENGEL, Honorary President MAX H. BLOCK, Seattle Vice President MILTON WEILL, Chm., Administrative Board JOSEPH M. PROSKAUER, Honorary President JULIUS H. COHN, Newark, Vice-President ociate Treasurer JULIUS S. LOEWENTHAL, Secretary JOHN SLAWSON, Executive Vice-pTesident JAMES MA "SHALL, New York, Vice-president

2 r\l THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE Paris Office.- 30, Rue La Boetie, Paris 8, France Elysees 69-11, Cable: Wishcom, Paris Zachariah Shuster, European Director December 17, 1960 C Dr. Simon Segal American Jewish Committee 165 East 56 Street New York 22, New York Dear Simon: Enclosed is a report on the situation in Algeria as of today, note the passages which are marked "confidential." Please With regard to action on our part, it seems to us that it would be advisable to work in two directions: l 0 To contact the FLN leaders in New York and urge them to call upon their followers in Algeria to desist from attacks a- gainst Jews, for this could be only harmful to their cause. 2. To urge the French authority to take into account the interest of the Jewish population in any arrangements that will be made in the future. The entire Algerian situation is in a state of flux. We shall try to be in contact with other Jewish organizations both in France and in Algeria and keep you informed on conditions as they develop. With best regards, Sincerely, cc/dr. Slawson Zachariah Shuster S. Note that all of pages 1 & 8 are confidential, as well as those passages scored in pencil in the margins of the rest of the report. HERBERT B. EHRMANN, President FREDERICK F. GREENMAN, Chm., Executive Board MILTON WEILL, Chm., Administrative Board WILLIAM ROSENWALD, Chm., Nat'l. Advisory Council MAURICE GLINERT, Treasurer ARTHUR D. LEIDESDORF, Associate Treasurer JULIUS S. LOEWENTHAL, Secretary JOHN SLAWSON, Executive Vice-President JACOB BLAUSTEIN, Honorary President IRVING M. ENGEL, Honorary President JOSEPH M. PROSKAUER, Honorary President HERBERT H. LEHMAN, Honorary Vice-President SAMUEL D. LEIDESDORF, Honorary Vice-president RALPH E. SAMUEL, Honorary Vice-President HORACE STERN, Honorary Vice-President FRED LAZARUS, JR., Hon. Chm., Nat'l. Advis. Council ELY M. AARON, Chicago, Vice-President JOSEPH M. BERNE, Cleveland, Vice-President MAX H. BLOCK, Seattle, Vice-President JULIUS H. COHN, Newark, Vice-President WILLIAM P. ENGEL, Birmingham, Vice-President MARTIN GANG, Los Angeles, Vice-President JACK A. GOLDFARB, New York, Vice-President J. M. KAPLAN, New York, Vice-President JAMES MARSHALL, New York, Vice-President BARON dehirsch MEYER, Miami, Vice-President A. M. SONNABEND, Boston, Vice-President

3 I THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE Paris Office: 30, Rue La Boetie, Paris 8, France Elysees 69-11, Cable: Wishcom, Paris Zachariah Shuster, European Direct- December 16, 1960 To: From: Subj: Foreign Affairs Department Paris Office Algeria The riots in Algeria are, for the moment at least, over, and stocktaking both as to the physical, psychological and political repercussions, is now going on. Insofar as Algerian Jewry is concerned, it came out of these hectic days virtually untouched physical^, greatly disturbed emotionally, with damage to a handful of Jewish shops and with one dramatically sorrowful event - the devastation and profanation of Algiers' rue Randon synagogue, one of the most impressive in North Africa, though actually little-used in recent years. From what can be ascertained by speaking to Jewish community leaders in Algeria, no Jew was killed, no Jew was wounded, and one of the responsible leaders even declares that no Jews were molested although, even today, there are French press reports that speak of "hangings and throat-cuttings of Jews" in the Algiers Casbah as part of a Moslem "holy war." An inventory is now being taken of damage done to physical property owned by Jews. The reports as to the number of Jewish shops damaged and ransacked in the December riots in Algiers ranges from one to five. On December 12 there were numerous press reports of looting of Jewish shops in the city of Constantine. Word received in Paris yesterday from a Jewish Agency representative there < was that no Jewish shops at all had been looted, and that the manifestations did not have an anti-jewish character. In Philippeville one Jewish tombstone at the entrance to the cemetery was overturned. HERBERT B. EHRMANN, President FREDERICK F. GREENMAN, Chm., Executive Board MILTON WEILL, Chm., Administrative Board WILLIAM ROSENWALD, Chm., Nat'l. Advisory Council MAURICE GLINERT, Treasurer ARTHUR D. LEIDESDORF, Associate Treasurer JULIUS S. LOEWENTHAL, Secretary JOHN SLAWSON, Executive Vice-President JACOB BLAUSTEIN, Honorary President IRVING M. ENGEL, Honorary President JOSEPH M. PROSKAUER, Honorary President HERBERT H. LEHMAN, Honorary Vice-President SAMUEL D. LEIDESDORF, Honorary Vice-President RALPH E. SAMUEL, Honorary Vice-President HORACE STERN, Honorary Vice-President FRED LAZARUS, JR., Hon. Chm., Nat'l. Advis. Council ELY M. AARON, Chicago, Vice-President JOSEPH M. BERNE, Cleveland, Vice-President MAX H. BLOCK, Seattle, Vice-President JULIUS H. COHN, Newark, Vice-President WILLIAM P. ENGEL, Birmingham, Vice-President MARTIN GANG, Los Angeles, Vice-President JACK A. GOLDFARB, New York, Vice-President J. M. KAPLAN, New York, Vice-President JAMES MARSHALL, New York, Vice-President BARON dehlrsch MEYER, Miami, Vice-President A. M. SONNABEND, Boston, Vice-President

4 - 2 - The Jewish population of the Algiers Casbah, once fairly large, has diminished over the years, and according to recent estimates (there is no sure count) only a few hundred Jews were still living in the Casbah by this year. Moreover, it would appear that even before the riots and demonstrations took place, the greater part of these Jews had left the Casbah to go and live with relatives in other parts of the city; so that by last Sunday and Monday perhaps only 15 to 20 families remained, it was estimated. Of those who left the Casbah, approximately 30 persons are now being sheltered in the Ecole Rabbinique, which is outside the Casbah and which is owned by the Jewish community. The accounts of Jews on the spot, such as the representatives of Jewish international bodies like the JDC, the Ort and the Alliance, have constantly been at great variance with the newspaper accounts here in France, which reported rumors of killings and pogroms of Jews. From the outset, Jewish representatives reported to their European headquarters that there did not appear to be any particular discernible anti-jewish animus involved in the Moslem demonstrations; and that if some Jewish shops were wrecked this could not be considered as umusaal given the number of such Jewish establishments on the streets leading up to the Casbah - in which the riots took place - and given the general destruction in the area. Greatest impact on Jews in Algiers, however, was made by the profanation and devastation of the rue Randon synagogue. The accounts as to how the destruction <fci!i the synagogue took place are many and varied. This synagogue, it should be pointed out, was practically unused in recent years, but not disaffected as some reports had it; there were still Torahs and ritual objects in the synagogue. Patching together the various accounts, it would seem that at one point during the nationalist demonstrations last Sunday, Moslems being chased back by the French forces took refuge in the synagogue. As a measure of defence against French attack they pulled up benches and other material to try to throw up a blockade in case the French should try to enter the synagogue,. It is not clear whether the French then pressed any attacks'against them or not. In any event, on Monday morning the Moslems were still in the synagogue building. Jewish lay and religious authorities asked the authorities that the synagogue be evacuated of Moslems, but that this be done with the greatest care and respect. Taking refuge in sacred places is a right greatly respected in Arab lands and, according to Le Monde correspondent, Philippe Ben, "the Jews did not want to bring upon

5 - 3 - themselves the rancour of the Moslems, who might have accused them of having incited the forces of order to violate this well-known rule." Hence two Jewish military chaplains, the account goes on, were sent with a military escort. There was, however, a very excited Moslem crowd in front of this synagogue, and it was only later in the afternoon that, without violence or arrests the synagogue was disengaged. The place was a shambles; not only had benches and the Ark been pulled downy But also Arab nationalist slogans had been painted on the walls and the ceilings; and the Torahs had been pulled out and torn to pieces. Whether the vandalism in the synagogue was a purposeful act by FLN rioters and their leaders, as part of a wider FLN policy, is still unknown, but a matter for speculation, for reasons that will be described below. Certainly, among the Jews of Algeria, as among the European population generally, there is now great anxiety and great tenseness, as individuals consider both their physical security and their future in Algeria. One key element made clear by the demonstrations of last Sunday and Monday has shifted the entire balance of political forces and political possibilities in Algeria, and cannot but have its effect on French government thinking about Algeria. The Moslems in the cities showed definitely that they were pro FLN; and, even more important, now they dared openly to demonstrate their FLN sympathies, This means that the ultras on the French right who had been insisting on a French Algeria, and who had argued that the Moslems wanted the French to stay, and desired French protection against the FLN, have decisively been proven wrong. There are presently few illusions on this score, even among the ardent followers of the rightist movements in Algeria. That there was an Algerian Moslem middle-of-the-road element desiring ties with France was, also however, one of the bases on which de Gaulle policies were founded. Repeatedly the General has proclaimed that an Algeria given auto-determination would voluntarily

6 - 4 - choose to remain tied to Prance; and his attempts to establish a middle-of-the-road Algerian regime have been predicated upon this proposition. Now it seems evident that such middle-roaders do not exist or, at any rate, certainly will not dare assert themselves, given the fact that the FLN has the open support of the city populations for full independence. The lessons that de Gaulle himself intends to draw from all of this are not clear. Some French officials have, since last Sunday and Monday, been talking increasingly of a split d> Algeria into different zones, as a possible new goal of France in Algeria, with one zone for the Europeans and another for the Moslems. This seems highly improbable of achievement, given the present circumstances. Still other reports have it that de Gaulle will use the forthcoming referendum of January 8 - in which French and Algerians will be asked whether they agree to the policy of auto-determination (even though nobody now knows what that means) - as the basis for opening negotiations once more with the FLN. That there is confusion in France itself, and confusion and a considerable amount ofi despair among Europeans in Algeria, is certain; that the FLN will now not settle for less than full independence also appears evident. But whether this will now come quickly or whether the French will hold on to a bitter end, though this may mean; years more of fighting and though the French public is getting more and more tired of the struggle, has yet to be decided - and this will depend on de Gaulle's personal stand in the coming weeks. What of the Jews in this situation? It is estimated that there are approximately 120, ,000 Jews in Algeria at the present time, and that three-quarters of them are located in the major cities of Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Bone and Tlemcen, with the remaining quarter in some 60 communities throughout Algeria as far south as the Sahara. Jews have lived in Algeria for centuries but, in 1870, some 40 years after the French took over Algeria, a capital event occurred for them: by the terms of the Cremieux Decree of 1870 they all became French citizens with the exception of a handful who lived in the so-called Southern Territories of M'zab, in the Sahara. It was not until after the Second World War that France showed willingness to extend French nationality to overwhelming masses of Moslems.

7 - 5 - The Cremieux Decree has been called into question on various occasions. It was, for instance, abrogated under the Vichy Regime, with the approval of a not inconsiderable part of the European colonial population, among whom there are strong strains of anti- Semitism. It was, however, re-established by General de Gaulle after the war. Similarly, on various occasions in recent years, FLN leaders have let it be understood that they consider the Cremieux Decree as invalid, as a French instrument to separate native Moslems and native Jews on Algerian soil from one another, and hence as null and void. Finally, in recent weeks, there has been some perturbation among Algerian Jews because of the use of certain terms in declarations by French political leaders (whereby the Jewish oommunity was distinguished from the European community), and which set people wondering whether they were no longer considered as part of the French community. However, in a most recent declaration before the French parliament, Premier Debre made clear that all those who have French citizenship at the present time, be they Christian, Jew or Moslem would, whatever happened, be able to retain this citizenship. The fact of the matter is that the mass of Algerian Jewry feels that its fate is intimately tied up with that of the presence of France in Algeria. Jews in Algeria have always thought it imperative that nothing should be done which would set them apart, or even appear to set them apart, from the European community. The reasons are many. First, of course, the Jews have a natural feeling of gratitude to France, for having made them full-fledged citizens, and thus promoted their civil and social development, much further advanced than that of the Moslem masses around them. Second, in the words of a confidential memorandum recently written by the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Algeria, Mr. Benjamin Heler, Jews feel it essential that "at every moment and unequivocally, the Jewish community must be part of any measures of safeguard envisaged by the French government." Among the most important of the measures of safeguard that Jews consider essential is, of course, emigration. At the present time, as French citizens, any Algerian Jew can immediately pack up and go to France without needing any visa, any paper, anybody's permission, assuming he decides to do so. The heart of the Heler memorandum is, in effect, devoted to this problem of emigration, and its conclusion is that "it is essential immediately to envisage, and before

8 - 6 - there is any possibility of restraint, that national and international Jewish organizations set up a small action and defense committee in order to draw up a plan for the massive saving of Jews, to be applied in case of urgency." It also asks for the establishment of a special assistance fund for this purpose, and for discreet preparatory emigration work, to be done in major Algerian cities along the littoral. Heler's memorandum, it should be pointed out, was apparently drawn up on his own initiative, and has been criticized by other Jewish leaders in Algeria. It has met with a cool response, moreover, among American Jewish welfare and migration agencies for a variety of reasons: one being that Algerian Jews seem prepared to do little on their own behalf, another being that the existing network of agencies is thought sufficient, and no special agency for Algeria being needed. Nonetheless, the ma}or problems posed by the memorandum - that increased movement of Jews from Algeria is probable in the future, depending on the fortunes of France; that such movement is possible without restraint now, but may not be in the near future - are real enough and deserve serious attention. In point of fact, few Jews have left Algeria in recent years, whether for France, Israel, or any other place. Life in the cities, where French protection was effective, was relatively secure; war-time conditions produced economic boom; Jews, like other elements, felt that Algeria was their home. The extent to which this mentality has changed, in view of the emotional and psychological shocks of the past week, has yet to be demonstrated. If, however, one takes as a premise - and it is difficult to avoid this premise now - that Algeria will be a fully independent Moslem state in the not-too-distant future, it is certain that a sizeable number of Jews will be leaving, along with other Europeans. The Jewish Agency has always had its shlichim in Algeria. In recent weeks, however, the French government, while not asking them directly to leave, have placed obstacles in their way and have otherwise implied that if they left it would not be looked on unfavorably. The Agency people, on the other hand, feel that now they really are needed, and are therefore staying. Moreover, the Israelis hope to persuade the French to permit them to move in some cultural or other mission which would, in effect, be a cover for a larger migration organization, but one which would work with the utmost discretion, and with absolutely no publicity or propaganda of any kind. It is the present estimate of the Israelis that as part of a larger exit movement perhaps 12,000-15,000 Jews will want to go to Israel. They realize that most Algerian Jews who can move will probably want to go to France; they are very cognizant that nothing should be done which might seem to reflect on the attachment of Algerian Jews to France. At the same time they believe - and there are grounds for such belief - that the French, eventually faced with the transplantation of tens, if not hundreds of thousands, from Algeria to France, with all the welfare and other programs this will involve, will not look on askance if part of this mass flows elsewhere.

9 - 7 - CONFIDENTIAL The FLN and the Jews On several occasions during the years of the struggle in Algeria, the FLN has called on Jewish community organizations in that country to take a stand in favor of Algerian independence Sometimes these requests have been sharply underscored as when, a few years ago, Mr. Heler"s brother-in-law, a rabbi, was victim of a terrorist bomb, and there were other actions taken against Jews o The public position of Algerian Jewish leadership has always been that no community organization can make such a choice for any Jew, that this is something which every individual must make for himself. For the rest, the community leadership has limited itself to appeals for fraternity and better understanding among all elements of the population -- Moslem, Christian and Jew. This, of course, has never satisfied the FLN; and it has made its dissatisfaction increasingly apparent in the past few weeks, as the moment for critical decisions approaches. Since November the FLN has, on three occasions, directly or indirectly, made it known that it wants from Israel or from some Jewish international organization a statement publicly favoring the cause of Algerian independence. One such request was transmitted by an FLN leader to Mr. David Amar, the Secretary General of the Council of Jewish Communities in Morocco. Mr. Amar was informed very politely that it would be well for Jews if some such statement were forthcoming. Two other similar warnings, less veiled, were transmitted through Israelis. At the present, according to our information, both the Israelis and the WJC have decided to not react to these FLN initiatives in any way. It is these warnings which provoked the speculation as to whether the devastation of the rue Randon synagogue was purposeful or not. The Israelis say they have no definite reason for saying yes or no at the present time, but are trying to get further information on this score. We were approached by an Israeli representative here in Paris and asked what would the AJC attitude be with regard to present issues and problems in Algeria, and what might we be prepared to do. We told him that any action considered by the AJC would be guided by the following principles: There would have to be full respect for the desire of Jews in Algeria that nothing should be done which, in any way, would cast doubts on their French citizenship or their desire to be considered French. Vis-a-vis the French, we would be prepared to go see government representatives to express our satisfaction at Premier Debre's recent statements clearly re-affirming existing citizenship rights, and to urge the French authorities to take care of the Jewish population as of all other Frenchmen, in any arrangement that may be made in Algeria.

10 - 8 - That we would consider making contact with FLN representatives to make a presentation based solely on the argument that for the FLN to engage in anti-jewish activities could not but hurt its cause and bring about unnecessary problems for it. If, as could be expected, we would be pressed for a declaration favoring the FLN cause we would say that this was not our competence, but a matter for each individual in Algeria to decide for himself, and no one has the right to speak for him. That with regard to eventual emigration, the AJC has always maintained firmly the principle that Jews should have the right to emigrate to the land of their choice, be it France, Israel, or anywhere else; that certainly if any number of Algerian Jews showed that they wished to go to Israel, Israel could expect the same kind of help from American Jewry that it had gotten on similar occasions in the past; but that if Israelis were to promote emigration in such fashion as to cast doubts on the French citizenship of Jews in Algeria, or make fund-raising statements or take other action that would increase tensions, the reactions would be quite negative. # # # /'A/ *» //