Israeli war undermines reopening of Jewish synagogues in Algeria

The Algerian Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Mohamed Issa, called on Wednesday upon the Jewish community in Algeria to disown “Zionist acts” in Palestine as a condition to reopen the Jewish synagogues in the country, Al-Alam Online news website reported.

Al-Alam Online quoted Issa as saying that the Jewish community should call for an immediate stop to the massacres in Gaza, stressing that Algerians would welcome this move.

The minister said Algerian Jews must disown Zionism. Such a measure would “lessen tension” in the Algerian society, which has been known for its great solidarity with Palestine.

Previously, the Algerian authorities had said that popular agreement amongst all Algerians would decide whether or not to reopen the synagogues. However, “Algerians feel disappointed with the [Israeli] attacks on Gaza,” the minister said.

Synagogues and churches in Algeria have been shuttered since the 1990’s.