The recent media frenzy stirred up by certain French political and intellectual circles over the case of Boualem Sansal is yet another testament to the existence of a resentful lobby against Algeria—a lobby that seizes every opportunity to undermine Algeria’s sovereignty.
The arrest of Boualem Sansal, a so-called intellectual revered by the French far-right, has prompted a chorus of indignation from notorious figures opposed to Algeria and aligned with Zionist interests in Paris. Voices such as Éric Zemmour, Mohamed Sifaoui, Marine Le Pen, Xavier Driencourt, Valérie Pécresse, Jack Lang, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, and Sansal’s Moroccan ally Tahar Ben Jelloun have rallied to defend this purveyor of distortion, who has ultimately been ensnared by his own actions. Tahar Ben Jelloun, ever loyal to his monarch Mohammed VI, even while recovering from sciatica caused by incessant bowing to kiss the king’s hand, has joined this collective outcry.
A Week of Setbacks for the Anti-Algerian Lobby
The so-called anti-Algerian lobby has had a tough week. One of their protégés, Kamel Daoud, was caught exploiting the suffering of a victim of terrorism in Algeria to secure a Goncourt Prize. Simultaneously, their ally, the infamous war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, became the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Finally, Sansal, another darling of this group, was arrested amid a storm of revisionist controversy. Adding insult to injury, writer Wassini Al-Aaraj accused Sansal of plagiarizing the title and storyline of his book 2084: The End of the World.
France seems to have made a peculiar choice in adopting Algerian figures who specialize in literary theft and historical revisionism.
Macron’s Contradictions and France’s Double Standards
French President Emmanuel Macron, fresh from a vacation in Brazil where he notoriously referred to Haitians as “fools,” has expressed “deep concern” over Sansal’s arrest. Meanwhile, France under Macron, with its Zionist leanings, decries Sansal’s detention at Algiers Airport but conveniently avoids addressing whether it would have the legal authority to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to land at Charles de Gaulle Airport. France’s stance on law and human rights might benefit from starting with adherence to international law in Netanyahu’s case.
Under Macron, France is no stranger to contradictions. The president who acknowledged French colonial-era crimes against humanity in Algeria and oversaw official recognition of state assassinations, such as those of Ali Boumendjel, Maurice Audin, and Larbi Ben M’Hidi, now defends an individual who denies Algeria’s independence, history, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The Hypocrisy of France’s Memory Laws
Given France’s frequent enactment of memory laws, particularly concerning anti-Semitism (such as the Gayssot Act), one might wonder why Boualem Sansal is not condemned for attempting to deny the existence of the Algerian nation. This could make an interesting case study for historian Benjamin Stora.
Algeria’s Steadfast Principle Amid Adversity
In the face of every wave of hostility, Paris accuses Algeria of every conceivable transgression, while Algeria consistently upholds its principle of steadfastness. The recent accusations of suppressing free speech, even as the French continue to detain Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram—a global platform for expression—expose this malevolent theater. In this play, Boualem Sansal is nothing more than a convenient puppet.
For more in-depth articles on Algeria, visit DZWATCH.DZ.
Author: Nor-Eleslam
Boualem Sansal, anti-Algerian lobby, France-Algeria relations, revisionism, Macron contradictions
