Following the May visit by 130 Jews to their home town of Tlemcen in western Algeria, the first for 40 years (reported here and here on Point of no return) the Algerian press launched an unprecedented antisemitic attack. An underlying factor seems to be the fear that the Algerian government may soon have to give the Jews of Algeria compensation for their lost assets. Here is a selection of the more venomous press reports (with acknowledgements to Information juive, July/Aug 2005):
"We give them bunches of roses and they kill our sons, chase us off our lands, deprive us of our honour, profane our graves and prepare minefields for us. Bravo the Jews!" Ech-Chorouk El-Youmi, 19 May 2005
"These people draw up a plan to get their hands on half of Algeria's deposits and put them in American banks, run by the Jews! Who could now stop them since our funds are with them and the UN will be under their control if they decide to put forward a resolution advocating restitution." Ech-Chorouk El-Youmi, 21 May 2005
"When they cry for their lost paradise they only cry for the privileges, land and property they left behind after independence. However, they left it all behind because it did not belong to them and was acquired through money gained on the backs of Algerians." El Bilad, 21 May 2005
"What was the point of sprucing up Jewish tombs for the benefit of pilgrims from Paris or Tel Aviv as if they had spilt blood to liberate the country when they had in fact opposed its liberation and even took arms against our children? "Ech-Chorouk El-Youmi, 22 May 2005
"The Wailing Wall is part of the Algerian waqf" - ditto
"The Jews have been experts in extorting money for centuries." Sawt el Ahrar, 24 May 2005
"The lofty speeches by some Jews about their relations with Algeria should not hide their wish to blackmail the country with their demands for compensation" - ditto
"These people did not leave because of their religion: they lived with us for 14 centuries. They went because they committed betrayals and crimes. The visit of the Jews to Tlemcen was based on provocation and cynicism. It had nothing to do with tourism." El Akhbar, 29 May 2005
what kind of news do you expect from a pro-arabic-islamic newspaper??
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