Citizenship and Antisemitism in French Colonial Algeria, 1870–1962

396 Pages·2018·5.89 MB·English

by  Sophie B. Roberts

Citizenship and Antisemitism in French Colonial
Algeria, 1870–1962
ProfessorRobertsexaminestherelationshipbetweenantisemitismand
the practices of citizenship in a colonial context. She focuses on the
experienceofAlgerianJewsandtheirevolvingidentityascitizensasthey
competed with the other populations in the colony, including newly
naturalized non-French settlers and Algerian Muslims, for control
overthescarceresourcesofthecolonialstate.Theauthorarguesthat
thisresultedinantisemiticviolenceandhotlycontesteddebatesoverthe
nature of French identity and rights of citizenship. Tracing the ambi-
guities and tensions that Algerian Jews faced, the book shows that
antisemitism was not coherent or stable but changed in response to
influenceswithinAlgeria,andfrommetropolitanFrance,Europe,and
theMiddle East.Writtenfor awide audience,this titlecontributesto
several fields including Jewish history, colonial and empire studies,
antisemitism within municipal politics, and citizenship, and adds to
currentdebatesontransnationalismandglobalization.
SophieB.RobertsisZantkerAssistantProfessorofJewishHistoryand
JewishStudiesattheUniversityofKentuckyinLexington.Shereceived
herPhDinHistoryandJewishStudiesfromtheUniversityofToronto,
Canada, and has previously served as a visiting assistant professor at
StanfordUniversity.ProficientinFrenchandHebrew,shehasreceived
several awards and fellowships, including the 2012–2013 Sosland
FoundationFellowshipattheCenterforAdvancedHolocaustStudies
attheUnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum.

Citizenship and Antisemitism
in French Colonial Algeria,
–
1870 1962
Sophie B. Roberts
UniversityofKentucky
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www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107188150
DOI:10.1017/9781316946411
©SophieB.Roberts2017
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2017
PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyClays,StIvesplc
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Roberts,SophieB.,1983–author.
Title: Citizenship and antisemitism in French colonial Algeria, 1870–1962 /
SophieB.Roberts.
Description: New York : Cambridge University Press, [2017] | Includes
bibliographicalreferences.
Identifiers:LCCN2017043574|ISBN9781107188150
Subjects: LCSH: Jews – Algeria – History – 19th century. | Jews – Algeria –
History–20thcentury.|Antisemitism–Algeria–History–19thcentury.|
Antisemitism–Algeria–History–20thcentury.
Classification:LCCDS135.A3R632017|DDC305.892/406509041–dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2017043574
ISBN978-1-107-18815-0Hardback
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Contents
ListofFigures pagevi
Preface vii
Introduction 1
1 CompetingforRightsandIdentity:Citizenshipand
AntisemitisminFin-de-siècleAlgeria 48
2 WateringtheTreeofLibertieswithJewishBlood:Max
Régis,Néos,andtheExplosionofAntisemitismin
Algeria,1898 80
3 NavigatingMultipleIdentitiesandEvolvingFrench
Patriotism 111
4 ThePoliticsofStatusAnxietiesandUnequalRightsin
InterwarColonialAlgeria:Jewish–MuslimConflictsand
the1934Constantine“Pogrom” 143
5 ThePopularFront,AlgerianNationalism,andEvolving
InstitutionalAntisemitism,1935–1940 201
6 Rupture:Vichy,StateAntisemitism,andtheCrémieux
Decree 250
7 BrokenIdentities:Post–WorldWarIIandthe
AlgerianWar 297
Conclusion 351
References 357
Index 379
v
Figures
1.1 ApieceofthePirkeiAvottext,mistakenlyidentifiedasTalmud,
takenbytheanti-JuifsfromthesynagogueofMostaganem,May
18,1897 page71
vi
Preface
Thisbooktacklestopicsthatremindhistoriansthatourworkisnotjustto
study the past. The central issues ofthisproject areas resonanttoday as
theywereinthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies.Todaythequestionof
national identity, processes of assimilation and integration, and the con-
tinued exclusion of certain groups continue to plague all nations, and
especially those in Europe. The European Union continues to navigate
thecomplexquestionsofcitizenshipandaccesstoit,itstranslatability,and
its relevance in an increasingly complex and entangled world.
Antisemitism,whichisatthecoreofthisbook,stillservespoliticalpurposes
today.Francecontinuestonegotiatethecomplexitiesofantisemitismand
violenceintheaftermathoftheCharlieHebdomassacreandtheattackon
thekoshersupermarketHypercacherinParisinJanuary2015.
Although Algerian Jews are the central focus of this study, this book
considersdebatessurroundingthemeaningsofcitizenshipandthelimits
imposedupon itby reactionarypolitical antisemitism. Becausemy sub-
jectintersectsseveraltopics–JewsinAlgeria,antisemitism,citizenship,
andmunicipalgovernment–Idrawuponavarietyofdifferentarchives.
Each archive has a particular identity and focus; as a result, multiple
archivesmust beexamined inordertotriangulatesources.Forthecore
materialontheAlgerianJews,Iconductedresearchinavarietyofarchives
inFrance,Israel,andtheUnitedStates.IhadhopedtogotoAlgeriato
visit their wilayal archives, which may contain some further sources on
AlgerianJews’politicalactivities;however,thereisnoclearevidencethat
relevant sources remain there. Despite the wonderful assistance and
supportofthedirectorsoftheCentred’ÉtudesMaghrébinesenAlgérie
in Oran, my application for a research visa was denied. I am confident,
however,thatevenwithoutbeingabletoaccessthosearchives,thestory
thatItellinthefollowingpagesisbasedonrobustevidenceandreflects
accuratelythesituationofAlgerianJews’citizenshipintheFrenchcolo-
nialcontext.Alltranslationsaremyown.Byusingadiversecollectionof
documents from thirteen archives, I gained access to sources that
reflected different interests and perspectives, including those of
vii
viii Preface
administrators, journalists, politicians, and Algerian Jews themselves to
illustratethecomplexexperienceofAlgerianJewishcitizenship.Basedon
therecentincreaseinpublicationsonthesubjectofAlgerianJews,thisis
an important topic with great resonance for students and scholars of
citizenshipandnationalidentitytoday.
Theoft-usedsayingthat it“takesavillagetoraise achild” alsoholds
true for writing a book. This book involved even more than a village –
moreofaninternationalcommunityoffellowhistorians,archivists,and
kindsoulswhoparticipatedinitsdevelopment.Iamextremelygratefulto
all the archivists who assisted me during the various research phases of
this project: the Alliance Israélite Universelle archives (Paris), the
Archives Nationales (Paris), the Central Zionist Archives (Jerusalem),
theCentredesArchivesd’OutreMer(Aix-en-Provence),theCentredela
Documentationdel’Historiquesurl’Algérie(Aix-en-Provence),Centre
de la Documentation Juive Contemporaine (Paris), Hoover Institution
Archives, Stanford University (Stanford, CA), Ligue des Droits de
l’Homme Archives-BDIC (Nanterre), United States National Archives
and Records Administration (College Park, MD), United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum and Archives (Washington, DC), YIVO
InstituteforJewishResearchLibraryandArchives(NewYork,NY),and
theYadVashemArchives(Jerusalem).
I have been truly lucky to have studied with and worked with
a wonderful collection of fellow academics and colleagues. My interest
inAlgerianJewswasfirstsparkedbycoursesItookwithAronRodrigue
andStevenZipperstein.DerekPenslar,EricJennings,andDorisBergen
shepherded me through the process of developing and conducting
a research project, and the sometimes arduous task of writing and revi-
sion. They have generously offered their guidance, support, and advice
throughout the dissertation and manuscript revision process. In the
archives,Iworkedalongsidemanykindandgenerouscolleagues,whose
collegialityandsupporthelpedmeenormously.Othershavehelpedmein
conversations, by reading parts or all of the manuscript, and through
discussionsatconferences.Alistcouldneverbeexhaustive,butIwould
particularlyliketothankAomarBoum,JoshuaCole,Lien-HangNguyen,
Karen Petrone, Jeremy Popkin, Aron Rodrigue, Daniel Schroeter,
Gretchen Starr-Lebeau, Sarah Abrevaya Stein, Sarah Sussman, and
Steve Zipperstein for their intellectual engagement and generosity with
theircomments,feedback,andstimulation.
IwouldalsoliketothanktheCenterforAdvancedHolocaustStudiesat
theUnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseuminWashington,DC,as
well as their staff and archivists who helped me enormously during the
revisionsofthismanuscript,whileIwasafellowthere.Theotherfellows