One Jew was killed, seven were injured seriously, and a number of others were hurt when Moslems opened a series of attacks against the Jewish quarter of Oran, Algeria, this weekend, according to authoritative news that reached here and caused grave concern among French Jews.
The fighting started early Friday night when snipers and other marauders belonging to the FLN, the Moslem independence movement, drove through the Jewish quarter, firing at random at homes and passersby. In this initial attack, at least three Jews were seriously wounded and a number of others were injured.
Yesterday morning, defense units cornered another car of FLN marauders, driving down one of the main streets of the Jewish section, Boulevard Joffre. The defenders opened fire, killing four of the five men in the car, wounding the fifth. Almost immediately, crowds of Arabs flowed into the Jewish quarter, brandishing rifles, pistols, knives and metal bars. The invaders were driven back but not before at least four others were seriously injured and one Jew, Elie Dijian, 64, a retired school teacher, had been murdered.
The news came here last night, just as the Fohd Social Juif Unifie, the central French Jewish welfare organization, convened here for its annual general conference. In attendance was Grand Rabbi Rahmin Naouri, of the Algerian city of Bone.
“I cannot find words to describe to you the anguish and misery of the Algerian Jews after seven years of murder, tears and mourning,” the white-bearded grand rabbi told the conference. He predicted that most of Algeria’s 150,000 Jews will be driven into emigration, abandoning their homes and possessions, going to France “deprived of the barest necessities.” “They will need,” he said, “not only social help but also Jewish warmth and kindness.” He reminded the French Jews, however, that the Algerian Jews will bring with them also “a great spiritual heritage and traditional Jewish values.”
JEWISH WELFARE CONFERENCE ELECTRIFIED AS REPORT REACHES PARIS
Baron Guy de Rothschild presided at the FSJU meeting, as well as France’s Chief Rabbi, Dr. Jacob Kaplan; Israel’s Minister to France, Zeev Shek; and a representative of the French Ministry for Repatriates. The Algerian report electrified and underscored dramatically the main theme of the conference, which was concerned with plans for absorption of the influx of Jewish immigration from Algeria.
Joseph Weill, chairman of the FSJU. absorption committee, told the conference he has investigated the situation of Algerian Jewry, “at great length.” With great emotion, he told the conference: “Most of us ignore the facts behind the Algerian tragedy. We know nothing or little about the gradual but incessant infiltration of the Arab masses into the Jewish quarters, where they murder the Jewish inhabitants, so as to drive them out and occupy their homes and businesses.”
Mr. Weil predicted that Jewish children from Algeria will start pouring into France during the next few weeks. He said that many Jewish parents, still determined “to stick it out, ” do not wish to endanger the lives of their children and will ship them to France.
Baron de Rothschild reviewed the FSJU finances, declaring that the goal this year of 4,000,000 new French francs ($800,000) will be “far from sufficient” for the immediate needs of the Jewish refugees from Algeria. The conference voted to re-examine the problem and try to work out concrete plans for the absorption of the refugees.
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