Description

This report gives an overview of December 1947 on political activity in Constantine and on the many external events which interest Muslim circles.

The decision of the UN concerning the partition of Palestine provoked a little everywhere of the purely verbal reactions, but however susceptible to evolution on the part of the young Muslims towards the Israelite element. This decision “was a superb opportunity for the separatists to renew their hatred towards France which had cast a vote in favor of sharing and to rekindle the flame of anti-Semitism which slumbers among all Muslims”.

In Constantine, the last consistorial elections had brought out the predominance of elements of Zionist tendency. In Setif, the Israelites made an alliance with the “colonialist reaction” for electoral purposes.

Mr. Hadj Saïd, the former deputy spoke out against the decision of the United Nations assembly and invited Algerian Muslims to generously respond to the quests that will be organized in favor of their co-religionists in Palestine. He declared himself opposed to any boycott of Israelite traders and to preaching the need for understanding between all the ethnic elements of Algeria. The PPA (Algerian People’s Party) seems in favor of boycotting the cafes and shops of the Israelite community. Some Party activists engaged in active propaganda. Muslims would have considered a 48-hour general strike, characterized by the closure of all their stores, in protest against the UN decision, then they would have given up on this project.

Various Muslims wish to join the Arab Army. “We also talked about the creation of offices responsible for recruiting volunteers and organizing illegal departures.”