On the eve of French President Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Algeria, Algeria 54 had interviewed the journalist and author of the “Springtime of the sayanims” the French Jacob Cohen, on the drawings of this visit.
Algeria 54: A few hours before the takeoff of Emmanuel Macron’s presidential plane, to Algiers, we learn that one of his distinguished guests, in this case the Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia, has Covid-19 and will not be able to travel to Algeria. How do you read this twist, and what is its impact on the record of those who bet on standardization?
Jacob Cohen: Personally, I don’t understand the controversy surrounding Haïm Korsia. Macron can be blamed for many things, except naivety. He would never have included a prominent Jewish figure in his delegation if she were to somehow cause such discomfort among his hosts as to derail the trip as a whole. A Head of State on an official trip includes representatives of culture and religions in his delegation. A leader of the Maghreb community was to be part of it. It also seems that the list of the delegation is submitted for approval to the host country. Many Algerians accuse Korsia of being a Zionist. But you can’t find a Jewish community leader who isn’t. Korsia has an Algerian history from his parents, and I understand that he had a very personal interest in establishing contacts and promoting dialogue. And if we had to exclude French personalities for Zionism, there would be Macron in the lead, a good part of the government and parliamentarians, and the whole media galaxy that glorifies Israel and minimizes the Palestinian problem.
Algeria54: Emmanuel Macron attaches particular interest to his trip to Algiers, in a complex international situation. Weakened inside and collecting chess in Mali, and also on the file of the Ukrainian conflict. What are his chances of getting closer to Algiers, more and more turned towards the Brics?
Jacob Cohen: Macron is a character that is difficult to grasp, a polite way of saying that he is unpredictable, capricious, unstable, indecisive. Remember! He had declared NATO in a state of clinical death, a year later he became a fanatical defender. He had received Putin in Brégançon in a “Gaullian” setting and the world went into ecstasies over France’s desire to pursue an independent policy. Today he is the most faithful relay of American imperialism, preferring to destroy his country rather than resist the imposition of sanctions decided in Washington in the interest of the Americans. And vis-à-vis Algeria, what renunciations and volte-face! To really get closer to Algiers, Macron would have to make a Copernican revolution: Abandon his otanesque vision, “third-worldize” and show humility. It’s too much for such an authoritarian man, full of himself and viscerally linked to international finance. And we can estimate that the Algerian leaders – already scalded by several reversals – will only receive Macron for the gallery and will not believe any of the fine words they will hear. This meeting will be a great meeting and we will resume business as before. Moreover, Algeria has seriously shown its interest in the BRICS, and is therefore preparing for a fundamental change of course.
Algeria54: The question of gas will be at the center of the Algerian-French talks. Do you think that Algiers will listen to French concerns?
Jacob Cohen: The gas crisis is a big joke, in my humble opinion. Europe had a regular, reliable, stable supplier at reasonable prices. Enough to pursue economic development on a sound basis. And then came the invasion of Ukraine, which we know is largely due to NATO’s desire to tickle Russia to its borders, some experts even claim to provoke it to intervene. to trap her in some sort of Afghan quagmire. This does not happen. So France and Europe, draped in their “dignity” of liberal democracies intractable with violations of international law, deprived themselves of Russian gas, threatening their economies with ruin and recession. Why have these “democracies” never reacted to the massacres of Palestinians, Yemenis, Iraqis, Serbs, Libyans, nor to the looting of Third World wealth? In reality, the gas crisis is hopeless, because neither Algeria, nor Qatar, nor Canada can replace Russia. Macron knows this but he pretends to be desperate for gas. But the crisis suits him, as it suits all the European countries involved in the “great reset”. Impoverish people and make them live in increasingly precarious conditions in order to save them control by setting up an energy pass, to monitor them and put them out of harm’s way if necessary. This is unfortunately the image of Europe in these difficult times when freedom of the press has disappeared, where justice is an accomplice of power, where the brutalization of the masses is on the right track. The covid crisis and its spillovers into violations of individual freedoms was only the first act of this civilizational upheaval.
Algeria54: Many French, Spanish and Moroccan media had announced that Macron was trying to offer his mediation in the files of the tensions between Algiers-Rabat and Algiers-Madrid. What do you think ?
Jacob Cohen: Apart from his grand airs which no longer deceive many people, even the Ukrainians have invented the verb “macroner” to stigmatize fine words and little action, Macron does not seem credible to me to offer his mediation. He is the spokesman for Washington and world finance. Can Algiers frankly trust him, apart from the salamalecs specific to world diplomacy? In France we know too well, alas for our misfortune! Macronian schizophrenia. As a talker he is at the top of his game. But he is able to lie with as much talent eye to eye.
