A reading event for the book “Jewish Algeria” was cancelled on Saturday, according to the organisers, due to criticism over its timing amid the Gaza war. L’Arbre a dire, a bookshop in Algiers, announced the cancellation without further details.
The decision followed a statement from Islamist lawmaker Zouhir Fares, who claimed the culture ministry was banning the event after a formal request. There have been no official comments from Algerian authorities regarding the book or the reading events.
Fares also shared a letter urging action against the book, which he described as a form of “cultural normalisation with Zionists.” He criticized the book’s foreword, written by French author Valerie Zenatti, whom he referred to as a “citizen of the Zionist entity (Israel) who had served in its army not long ago.”
Another reading scheduled for Thursday in Tizi Ouzou, about 100 kilometres east of Algiers, was also cancelled, according to Librairie Cheikh, the organising bookstore.
In a February interview with Algerian newspaper Le Soir, author Hedia Bensahli stated that “Jewish Algeria” focuses on Algeria’s history, not global events. She noted that the book, covering over 2,000 years of history, had been on sale since before the Gaza war began last year. “Like everyone else, I could not have foreseen the Hamas attacks on October 7, nor the bloody response of the Israeli army,” she said.
L’Arbre a dire mentioned that the book is no longer available in its collection but clarified that authorities have not ordered its removal.