Dr. Belkacom Bontani, leading figure in Algerian Moslem affairs, wartime commandant of the army here and a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism, died suddenly on Friday. He was also a physician and member of the Algiers City Council.
Large crowds of Moslems, Christians and Jews attended Dr. Bentani’s funeral yesterday. Many speakers at his graveside praised his activities, including the Mayor of Algiers. Another speaker was Eli Gozlan, a Jewish leader, who was associated with Dr. Bentani in a campaign for a rapprochement among Jewish and Christian groups with the Moslem elements of the population, and in combating the spread of Nazi race theories in North Africa.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.