1934 Constantine Pogrom


The 1934 Constantine pogrom was an anti-Jewish riot that erupted in the Algerian city of Constantine.

History

The cause of the Constantine pogrom has been debated for some time. What everyone seems to agree on is that the initial cause of the conflict was a confrontation between Eliahou Khalifa, a Jewish Zouave, and Muslim worshippers in a mosque next to his home. The Muslims said that Khalifa was drunk, and insulted Islam. A report by the Jewish authorities claimed he was not intoxicated, and that after getting into an argument with them, they had cursed his faith and he cursed them and their faith back. The French colonial authorities only reported the Muslim version of events, which most scholars believe is responsible for inciting the pogrom.
The background of the tension between Jews and Muslims in the city was rooted in the different manner in which Jews and Muslims has been treated in the Algerian state by the French colonial government.

Contemporary reporting

reported on August 8, 1934: