Algeria's policy toward Israel: Pragmatism and rhetoric
2002; Middle East Institute; Volume: 56; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1940-3461
Autores Tópico(s)Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics
ResumoThis article is an analysis of Algerian-Israeli relations. The author argues that Algeria did not come to terms with Israel largely due to the rigidity of the FLN's (Front de Liberation National) ideology and to the popularity of the Islamic parties in that country. At the same time, however, he argues that a pragmatic tendency in Algeria's foreign policy was evident since the 1960s and that political and economic reasons forced the Algerian regime to become more flexible in its attitude toward the Arab-Israeli conflict and to moderate its attitude toward Israel. Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir once boasted that under his right-wing Likud government Israel managed to break the walls surrounding it by establishing diplomatic ties with most countries. A similar statement was made by former Labor Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in one of his speeches to the Knesset.1 Indeed, by the early 1990s, Israel managed to establish diplomatic ties with most countries in Asia and Africa. And when the Middle East peace process appeared to have gained momentum toward the middle of the decade, even the Muslim countries of North Africa began warming up to Israel. Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritania became receptive to the idea of establishing diplomatic ties with Israel, and even Libya moderated its anti-- Israeli stand. Yet, despite the progress made in the peace process and the growing recognition among these countries that coming to terms with Israel was no longer as risky as it hitherto had been, Algeria remained one of the last countries to consider such a possibility. It was only when Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak met Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at Moroccan King Hasan II's funeral, on July 25, 1999, that comments about rapprochement were made. Why Algeria remained one of the last countries to consider the possibility of normalizing relations with Israel is the question which this article attempts to answer. It argues that Algeria's reluctance to mend fences with Israel was a consequence of several factors: Algeria's colonial legacy; the Franco-Israeli collaboration during 19541962, when Algeria fought for its independence; and the ascendancy of militant Islamic parties in that country. Algeria's attitude toward Israel was in large measure determined by its colonial experience. The leaders of the FLN (Front de Liberation National), who assumed positions of leadership after the country's independence in 1962, were traumatized by their long struggle against French colonial rule, and, therefore, hatred of colonialism occupied a central part in their worldview. Israel's association with France and Great Britain during the Suez Affair of 1956 reinforced the notion among the FLN's leaders, that imperialism and Zionism conspired to suppress all liberation movements. The persistence of the Cold War and the increasing Soviet influence in Algeria reinforced that trend. Despite its declared commitment to nonalignment, Algeria's foreign policy orientation was clearly pro-Soviet during the Cold War years. The FLN regarded Moscow as the champion of all revolutionary movements. Consequently, the notion that Zionism was associated with imperialism persisted, and the hostility toward the Jewish State intensified. Algeria's aversion to Zionism tapered off somewhat after the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union by the late 1980s, but no meaningful dialogue between the two countries had yet taken place. The Algerian regime's failure to transform itself into a true democracy had a negative impact on potential bilateral relations. Moreover, the overwhelming power of the Islamic Salvation Front (Front Islamique de Salut, or FIS), which since the early 1990s had been locked in a furious battle against the military-backed authoritarian regime, discouraged the Algerian leaders from taking measures to improve relations. THE EARLY YEARS That Algeria's policy toward Israel was far more radical than that of any other country in North Africa was largely due to its bitter struggle against France and the historical memory of the FLN's leaders, who never forgot the Franco-Israeli collaboration during that period. …
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