Boualem Sansal: From Zionist Advocacy to Algerian Disdain, the Self-Proclaimed Intellectual and Pawn of Anti-Algerian Revisionism Disowned by His Own Family in 2016

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | November 22nd, 2024 — Boualem Sansal, the self-styled intellectual lionized by a narrow French elite, has once again become a tool of anti-Algerian propaganda, igniting a controversy emblematic of the complex interplay between colonial nostalgia, ideological betrayal, and geopolitical manipulation. His recent arrest in Algeria, followed by the French establishment’s vocal defense of him, including that of President Emmanuel Macron, has unveiled yet another chapter in his trajectory of disregard for Algerian sovereignty and values.

Sansal’s rhetoric, which aligns disturbingly with colonial revisionism, positions him as a celebrated “Algerian” voice in France—a position earned not through intellectual merit but by denigrating his roots. Together with like-minded figures like Kamel Daoud, Sansal embodies the archetype of the Algerian “intellectual” tailored to French tastes: one who actively negates Algeria’s sacrifices, identity, and sovereignty to garner accolades from the very system that oppressed his homeland.

His infamous visit to the occupied territories ‘the Zionist entity’ in 2012 marked a watershed moment, alienating him further from Algerians across the political spectrum. This act, seen as a blatant betrayal of Algeria’s historic and unwavering solidarity with Palestine, cemented his reputation as a pariah. Algeria, a nation defined by its relentless fight against colonial oppression and its moral stance against injustice worldwide, viewed Sansal’s actions as an affront to its very ethos.

In 2016, Sansal faced an unprecedented public disavowal from his own family. In a revealing interview with Echorouk, they renounced his behavior and condemned his detachment from Algerian values, particularly his tendency to dismiss Algeria’s revolutionary history and diminish its martyrs’ sacrifices. This repudiation resonated as a powerful indictment of a man whose opportunism has long overshadowed any literary contributions.

Sansal’s track record within Algeria’s public sphere also warrants scrutiny. As a former official in the Ministry of Industry during the early 2000s, he faced accusations of absenteeism and involvement in dubious activities. Former Minister El Hachemi Djaâboub publicly exposed Sansal’s attempts to leverage purported connections to powerful state actors to evade accountability—a revelation that reinforces the image of a man driven by self-interest rather than national loyalty.

The French political and media elite’s defense of Sansal reveals a glaring hypocrisy. While claiming to champion freedom of expression, France harbors a colonial nostalgia that actively undermines Algerian sovereignty. Macron’s expressions of “concern” over Sansal’s arrest starkly contrast with France’s silence on the Zionist entity’s human rights violations or its unwillingness to confront its colonial crimes in Algeria with genuine contrition.

Sansal’s case is not merely about one individual but a broader ideological agenda. He represents a network of voices in France that exploit their Algerian heritage to advance revisionist narratives, undermine Algerian independence, and sanitize colonial crimes. The accolades bestowed upon him, such as literary prizes, serve as thinly veiled rewards for ideological conformity to a post-colonial paradigm that seeks to delegitimize Algeria’s historical and moral authority.

For Algeria, Sansal symbolizes the lingering specter of the colonial project—a project that aims to rewrite history, erase identity, and reduce a proud nation to a mere backdrop for personal ambitions. As the French establishment rallies behind this figure, Algeria stands firm, committed to preserving its sovereignty and integrity against all attempts at subversion.

The narrative of Boualem Sansal is a cautionary tale about the price of abandoning one’s roots and values for fleeting recognition. It underscores the resilience of a nation that refuses to be silenced by revisionism and betrayal, no matter how eloquent its packaging.

Translated from:

https://www.echoroukonline.com/%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%83%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%88%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%8a%d8%b7%d9%87-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%ac%d9%86%d8%af%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%af%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b9-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d8%b5%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d9%84

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