Israel Slams Tebboune: No Normalization for a Failed Military Junta: Apologize to Algerian Jews First
A prominent Israeli journalist and academic, Edy Cohen, weighed in on the latest developments in Algerian-Israeli relations, and a scathing article by Faisal Marjani reinforces a stark message: before any discussion of normalization with Israel can take place, Algeria must first acknowledge its dark past by apologizing to its once-vibrant Jewish community.
Marjani’s article argues that the recent statements by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune—hinting at potential normalization with Israel—reveal a myopic strategic perspective and structural incapacity to grasp the profound geopolitical shifts both regionally and globally. According to Marjani, the suggestion that Israel might consider normalizing relations with Algeria is not born out of genuine intent, but rather from a narrow intellectual confinement, trapped in outdated narratives and a rentier mindset that mistakenly equates symbolic historical status with geopolitical importance.
From the Israeli and global strategic Jewish perspective, Algeria represents a dark historical chapter. Marjani reminds readers that Algeria was responsible for one of the largest mass expulsions and ethnic cleansings against Jews in modern times. During and after the War of Independence, Algeria systematically stripped its Jewish community of its rights—confiscating property, erasing cultural presence, and enforcing policies of rigorous institutional exclusion. The Jewish community, which had been a vital part of Algeria’s socioeconomic fabric from the Roman period through the Ottoman era and into the French colonial period, became collateral damage in a nationalist drive that conflated all remnants of colonial influence into one target.
Given this legacy of historical injustice, Marjani insists that any future dialogue on normalization will be hollow without a thorough public acknowledgment of these crimes. Algeria must conduct a radical reexamination of its political doctrine—a doctrine built on denial, distortion, and the cheap ideological exploitation of the Jewish question. He contends that the Algerian state has an obligation to issue a formal apology to Algerian Jews, to amend the laws that facilitated the plundering of their properties, and to establish sincere channels of communication with the Jewish diaspora. Only through such a process of historical reconciliation can real progress be made—a process based on justice rather than empty diplomatic maneuvers.
Furthermore, Marjani argues that from the standpoint of Israeli interests, Algeria holds no strategic weight. Geopolitically, Algeria lacks the regional influence necessary to contribute meaningfully to any balanced foreign policy. Its economy, painfully fragile due to an overreliance on hydrocarbons and a failure to diversify, and its outdated military doctrine—characterized by a reflexive enmity towards Israel—render it an unreliable partner. In sharp contrast, Arab states that have embraced normalization with Israel have done so not under compulsion, but driven by a forward-looking strategic vision that sees inclusion in Israel’s technological, economic, and security frameworks as a rational choice in an increasingly interconnected world.
Marjani’s message is clear: the world no longer awaits Algeria’s self-imposed isolation. Israel, for its part, is not in need of relations with a regime that lacks internal legitimacy and continues to hide behind hollow slogans to mask its failures in achieving stability and development. If President Tebboune believes he can leverage the prospect of normalization as a diplomatic bargaining chip, he is gravely mistaken. Israel recognizes only true, substantive interests—not political posturing devoid of historical accountability.
Until Algeria confronts its past and offers a genuine apology to its Jewish community, any attempt at rapprochement with Israel will remain a far cry from reality. The call is unequivocal: before normalization can begin, Algeria must first recognize and atone for its historical wrongs, dismantle its rigid mindset, and engage in true reconciliation founded on justice and mutual respect.
By Abderrahmane Fares
