A representative of the Jewish Agency in North Africa today blasted the “passivity” of Algerian Jews with respect to the kidnapping and murder of two Jewish Agency representatives in this country. Word of the murder of the two Jews, who had been kidnapped by Algerian rebel forces, was received here recently.
The Agency representative, M. Markuse, expressed his “shock” that Algerian Jews had “done nothing to try and save” the murdered men, Jacob Hassan and Rafael Ben Guerra. He further lambasted the local community for its failure to send condolences to the families of the dead men after the murders were made public. At a meeting of the administrative council of the Zionist Federation of Algeria, M. Markuse charged that Algerian Jews had “not shown emotion and had a passive approach to the entire affair.”
M. Narboni, president of the administrative council, denied M. Markuse’s charges. He said the Zionist Federation was preparing to take an active part in securing the release of the two kidnapped men, but had refrained at the request of the Israel Embassy in Paris.
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