Equality & settler backlash · Algeria · 1870–1939
The Crémieux decree changed citizenship, and settler politicians made Jewish equality an enemy.
Explore AlgeriaPublished by WTJPublication updated
1870–1939
Equality & settler backlash · Antisemitism becomes an election platform
The Crémieux decree changed citizenship, and settler politicians made Jewish equality an enemy.
The Crémieux decree
In 1870, the Crémieux decree collectively made most indigenous Jews in Algeria’s departments French citizens. Most indigenous Muslims did not receive the same grant. The decree opened rights for Jews within a colonial hierarchy that remained unequal. It also became a focal point for organized anti-Jewish opposition.
Drumont and Régis mobilize hatred
Édouard Drumont and Max Régis gained political office through explicitly antisemitic campaigns. Newspapers and movements accused Jews of exploiting Algeria and demanded exclusion. European settler antisemitism was a major force in this history; it cannot be explained as simply an ancient conflict between local religions.
Constantine, 1934
Anti-Jewish violence in Constantine in 1934 occurred within a wider climate of agitation and colonial tension. Local Muslims participated in attacks, while European settler hostility was also part of the context. Identifying these currents explains more than assigning a single permanent attitude to either population.