Algeria–Israel relations

Last updated
Algeria–Israel relations
Algeria Israel Locator.png
Flag of Algeria.svg
Algeria
Flag of Israel.svg
Israel

Algeria and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, with Algeria being part of the Arab League boycott of Israel, and officially does not recognize the State of Israel. Algeria refuses entry to any person holding an Israeli passport or any other passport with a visa from Israel. [1]

Contents

20th century

1950s

During the Algerian War, Israel offered diplomatic assistance and collaborated on intelligence matters with France, opposing Algerian independence. [2] Israel closely cooperated with French intelligence services, providing valuable information about the National Liberation Front (FLN). [3] Furthermore, Israeli agents frequently engaged in direct combat against Algerian nationalists, fighting alongside French forces. [4] Israel voted consistently against Algeria's independence in the United Nations. [5] [6]

1960s and 1970s

Shortly after Algeria gained its independence from France in 1962, Israel recognized the country's independence. [7] In 1962, Algeria became one of the first countries to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Since then, Algeria has supported various Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). [8]

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Algeria sent a battalion of infantry and a squadron of MiG-21s to Egypt, losing three Mig-21s to Israel. [9] During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Algeria sent an expeditionary force to fight Israel, including 59 aircraft (MiG-21, MiG-17, Su-7), an infantry platoon and an armored brigade (with an estimated 19 artillery weapons). Algeria also had a very important role in the Arab-Israeli war in 1973, by sending its 8th Infantry Mechanical Regiment to the Egyptian front to fight. There were almost 2,100 men, 815 non-commissioned officers, and 192 officers in total. [10]

1990s

In the mid-1990s, while Israel and other North African states slowly started diplomatic relations, Algeria remained one of the last countries to refrain from such a move. It was only when Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak met President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika at the funeral of the Moroccan King Hassan II of Morocco on July 25, 1999, that alleged unofficial comments were made. [11]

21st century

2010s

In January 2012, both Algeria and Israel as part of the Mediterranean Dialogue attended the 166th Military Committee meetings with NATO members in Brussels. [12]

In 2016, an Algerian high school geography textbook that contained a map that included Israel was withdrawn. [13] In January 2017, an Algerian was arrested after an online video interview with an Israeli official. [14]

2020s

In 2020, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said that he was interested in improving relations with Algeria and other Arab countries. [15] Also in 2020, amidst Gulf states' call to normalize relations, and the Hirak political renewal impact on the country's internal affairs, some voices were calling on reviewing the country's bilateral relations in a way that benefits the country. [16]

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during an interview with Algerian media on September 20, 2020, stated, "We have noticed a kind of scramble towards normalization. This is something we will never participate in, nor bless, the Palestinian issue is sacred for us and it is the mother of all issues and will not be resolved except by establishing a Palestinian state, with the 1967 borders, with Holy Jerusalem as its capital," [17] The statement refers to the ceremony that took place at the White House in the United States on September 15 of the same year, during which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed normalization agreements with Israel, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump. [18]

On 30 September 2021, the Algerian National Navy spotted an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine on the edge of Algerian international waters, which was carrying out an intelligence mission to collect information about the capabilities of the Algerian Project 636 Kilo-class submarines during an Algerian navy drill. Upon discovering the Israeli submarine, two Algerian Kilo submarines pursued it and cornered it, forcing it to surface in international waters and leave the area. [19] [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of France</span> Overview of the foreign relations of France

In the 19th century France built a new French colonial empire second only to the British Empire. It was humiliated in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, which marked the rise of Germany to dominance in Europe. France allied with Great Britain and Russia and was on the winning side of the First World War. Although it was initially easily defeated early in the Second World War, Free France, through its Free French Forces and the Resistance, continued to fight against the Axis powers as an Allied nation and was ultimately considered one of the victors of the war, as the allocation of a French occupation zone in Germany and West Berlin testifies, as well as the status of permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It fought losing colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria. The Fourth Republic collapsed and the Fifth Republic began in 1958 to the present. Under Charles De Gaulle it tried to block American and British influence on the European community. Since 1945, France has been a founding member of the United Nations, of NATO, and of the European Coal and Steel Community. As a charter member of the United Nations, France holds one of the permanent seats in the Security Council and is a member of most of its specialized and related agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Algeria</span> Foreign relations of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria

Since its independence from France in 1962, Algeria has pursued an activist foreign policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, Algeria was noted for its support of Third World policies and independence movements. Since its independence, Algeria has been a member of the Arab League, the African Union and of the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab League–Iran relations</span> Bilateral relations

The dynamic between the League of Arab States and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been ambivalent, owing to the latter's varying bilateral conduct with each country of the former. Iran is located on the easternmost frontier of the Arab League, which consists of 22 Arab countries and spans the bulk of the Middle East and North Africa, of which Iran is also a part. The Arab League's population is dominated by ethnic Arabs, whereas Iran's population is dominated by ethnic Persians; and while both sides have Islam as a common religion, their sects differ, with Sunnis constituting the majority in the Arab League and Shias constituting the majority in Iran. Since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, the country's Shia theocracy has attempted to assert itself as the legitimate religious and political leadership of all Muslims, contesting a status that has generally been understood as belonging to Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, where the cities of Mecca and Medina are located. This animosity, manifested in the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, has greatly exacerbated the Shia–Sunni divide throughout the Muslim world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algeria–Morocco relations</span> Bilateral relations

Algeria is represented in Morocco by its embassy in Rabat; Algeria also has consulates in Rabat, Casablanca and Oujda. Morocco is represented in Algeria by an embassy in Algiers; it also has consulates in Algiers, Oran and Sidi Bel Abbès. Relations between the two North African states have been marred by several crises since their independence, particularly the 1963 Sand War, the Western Sahara War of 1975–1991, the closing of the Algeria–Morocco border in 1994, an ongoing disagreement over the political status of Western Sahara and the signing of the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesia–Israel relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel and Indonesia have no formal diplomatic ties, although they maintain quiet trade, tourism and security contacts. In 2012, Indonesia spoke of upgrading relations with Israel and opening a consulate in Ramallah, but this agreement was never implemented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Israel relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations have existed between Bahrain and Israel since Bahrain achieved its independence in 1971. In recent years, relations between the two countries have been thawing, and the countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations in September 2020. The foreign minister of Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa has been quoted saying "Israel is part of the heritage of this whole region, historically. So, the Jewish people have a place amongst us." The common threat of Iran has provided common ground for a thaw in what were once tense relations. Bahrain's foreign policy traditionally supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Tunisia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–Tunisia relations refers to bilateral relations between Israel and Tunisia. There are no official diplomatic relations between the two states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International recognition of Israel</span> Recognition among the UN member states

The State of Israel was formally established by the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948, and was admitted to the United Nations (UN) as a full member state on 11 May 1949. As of December 2020, it has received diplomatic recognition from 165 of the 193 total UN member states, and also maintains bilateral ties with all of the Permanent Five. 28 member states have either never recognized Israel or have withdrawn their recognition; others have severed diplomatic relations without explicitly withdrawing their recognition. Additionally, many non-recognizing countries have challenged Israel's existence—predominantly those in the Muslim world—due to significant animosity stemming from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Arab–Israeli conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Saudi Arabia relations</span> Bilateral relations

The State of Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have never had formal diplomatic relations. In 1947, Saudi Arabia voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, and currently does not recognize Israeli sovereignty. However, as of 2023, bilateral negotiations towards Israeli–Saudi normalization are ongoing, with the United States serving as the two sides' mediator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algeria–Palestine relations</span> Bilateral relations

The alliance between Algeria and Palestine is strong and enduring. Algeria is a supporter of the Middle East peace process and it has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legitimacy of the State of Israel</span> Question of whether Israeli political authority is legitimate or not

Since the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, a number of countries and individuals have challenged the country's political legitimacy. Under international law, Israel has always met the standards for recognition as a sovereign state. However, over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict, the country's authority has been questioned on a number of fronts. Critics of Israel may be motivated by their opposition to the country's right to exist or, since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War, their disapproval of the established power structure within the Israeli-occupied territories. Some have called for Israel's destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Morocco relations</span> Bilateral relations

The State of Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco formally established diplomatic relations in 2020, when both sides signed the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement in light of the Abraham Accords. While official ties had previously not existed due to the Arab–Israeli conflict, the two countries maintained a secretive bilateral relationship on a number of fronts following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. For many years, Moroccan king Hassan II facilitated a relationship with Israeli authorities, and these ties are considered to have been instrumental in stabilizing Morocco and striking down possible anti-monarchy threats within the country. The Israeli passport is accepted for entry into Morocco, with a visa granted on arrival. With the bilateral normalization agreement in December 2020, Morocco officially recognized Israeli statehood. Almost three years later, in July 2023, Israel officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algeria–Egypt relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between Egypt and Algeria have been generally friendly throughout their history which dates back to Egypt's strong support for Ahmed Ben Bella's FLN during the Algerian War of Independence. This was later followed by Algeria's support for Egypt during the Six-Day War in 1967 and the October War in 1973. In addition both countries are member states of the Arab League while sharing similar views on major regional issues such as the Palestinian cause and the conflict in Sudan as well as the same vision on reforming the United Nations Security Council.

Arab–Israeli relations refers to relations between Israel and Arab nations. Israel's relations with the Arab world are overshadowed by the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Israel has been at war with Arab states on several occasions. Furthermore, a large majority of states within the Arab League do not recognize Israel, and Israelis and Jews in general are considered a frequent target of antisemitism in the Arab world. Antisemitism is considered an integral part of everyday culture in many Arab countries. After several Arab-Israeli wars, Egypt was the first Arab state to recognize Israel diplomatically in 1979 with the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. It was followed by Jordan with the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty (1994). In 2020, four more Arab states normalized relations. There have also been talks of an emerging Arab–Israeli alliance against Iran.

The Arab–Israeli alliance, sometimes called the Israeli–Sunni alliance, refers to an unofficial security coalition comprising Israel and various Arab countries. Formed in the interest of the Gulf Cooperation Council, it is primarily focused on deterring the political and military ambitions of Iran, and has been actively promoted by the United States since the February 2019 Warsaw conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and the UAE

The Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement, officially the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel, was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020, officially referred to as the Abraham Accords. The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel, as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so. Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank. The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries. The agreement was signed at the White House on September 15, 2020. It was approved unanimously by the Israeli cabinet on October 12 and was ratified by the Knesset on October 15. The UAE parliament and cabinet ratified the agreement on October 19. The agreement went into effect on January 5, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Accords</span> Series of Arab–Israeli normalization agreements

The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Israel and Bahrain on September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the announcement of August 13, 2020, concerned Israel and the United Arab Emirates before the subsequent announcement of an agreement between Israel and Bahrain on September 11, 2020. On September 15, 2020, the signing of the agreements was hosted by U.S. president Trump on the Truman Balcony of the White House amid elaborate staging intended to evoke the signings of historic formal peace treaties in prior administrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and Bahrain

The Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement, officially Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations, is an agreement to normalize diplomatic and other relations between Bahrain and Israel. The agreement was announced by President Donald Trump on September 11, 2020, and followed on from a joint statement, officially referred to as the Abraham Accords, by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020. It was formally signed on September 15, 2020, at the White House in Washington, D.C., and made Bahrain the fourth Arab state to recognize Israel and the second within a month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab–Israeli normalization</span> Peace efforts between Arab states and Israel

Since the 1970s, there has been a parallel effort made to find terms upon which peace can be agreed to in the Arab–Israeli conflict and also specifically the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Over the years, numerous Arab League countries have signed peace and normalization treaties with Israel, beginning with the Egypt–Israel peace treaty (1979). Despite the failure to implement the Israeli–Lebanese peace accords (1983), more treaties continued with the Israeli–Palestinian peace process (1991–present), the Israel–Jordan peace treaty (1994), the Abraham Accords normalizing relations between Israel–United Arab Emirates and Israel–Bahrain (2020), the Israel–Sudan normalization agreement (2020) and the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement (2020). Moreover, numerous Arab League members established semi-official relations with Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Morocco normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and Morocco

The Israel–Morocco normalization agreement is an agreement announced by the United States government on December 10, 2020, in which Israel and Morocco agreed to begin normalizing relations. On December 22, 2020, a joint declaration was signed pledging to quickly begin direct flights, promote economic cooperation, reopen liaison offices and move toward "full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations." Morocco officially recognized Israel in its communication to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

References

  1. International Air Transport Association (IATA), Travel Information Manual
  2. Lombardi, Roland (2018-06-23). "Un aspect international méconnu de la guerre d'Algérie : le regard et l'implication d'Israël dans le conflit". Casbah Tribune (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  3. "L'Algérie, Israël et la dernière colonie européenne dans le monde arabe". Middle East Eye édition française (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  4. Lombardi, Roland (2018-06-23). "Un aspect international méconnu de la guerre d'Algérie : le regard et l'implication d'Israël dans le conflit". Casbah Tribune (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  5. Dorothy Pickles (2023). The Government and Politics of France: Volume Two Politics. Taylor & Francis. p. 223. ISBN   978-10-0081001-1.
  6. Rouleau, Eric. “French Policy in the Middle East.” The World Today, vol. 24, no. 5, 1968, pp. 209–18. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40394127. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
  7. "Israelis Pursue Algerian Accord". The New York Times . July 9, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  8. Algeria – Arab and Middle East Affairs
  9. "Chronological Listing of Algeria". Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  10. Vivian Ibrahim (December 1, 2009). "Algeria and Egypt: A tale of two peoples". Egypt Independent.
  11. Algeria's Policy toward Israel: Pragmatism and Rhetoric by Jacob Abadi, Middle East Journal, Vol. 56, No. 4 (Autumn, 2002), pp. 616-641
  12. "NATO and Partner Chiefs of Defence conclude two days of meetings at NATO". NATO. 19 January 2012.
  13. "Report: Algeria Pulls Textbook That Features Israel on World Map". Haaretz. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  14. "Algeria court ditches sentence for blogger who interviewed Israeli". The Times of Israel. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  15. Mahiou, A. (2019). Algeria in the Mediterranean. In The Politics of Algeria (pp. 167-180). Routledge.
  16. Hazem, Hada. "We're not a monarchy". alfadjr. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  17. "Explainer: Where do Arab states stand on normalising Israel ties?". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  18. "Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign US-brokered normalisation deals". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  19. "Algeria navy chase Israel submarine out of international waters". Middle East Monitor. 2 October 2021.
  20. "Little known naval skirmish between Algerian Navy and Israeli submarine". Military Africa. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2024-02-11.