” . . . freedom is seized, not granted.” From A Cradle Contributor at thecradle.co:
In Algeria’s liberation struggle, we can find lessons on the limitations of humanistic ideals in the face of violence, offering insights into the ongoing Palestinian national liberation struggle
Photo Credit: The Cradle
Sixty-six years ago, in the midst of a raging war, the renowned French-Algerian writer Albert Camus delivered his most perilous political speech. On the surface, his speech called for a civil truce in Algeria, but beneath the surface, it subtly rejected Arab nationalist aspirations.
In its essence, Camus expressed a humanist commitment to shared possibilities in a land shared by colonizers and the colonized. Amidst calls for armed resistance, Camus, a member of the Pieds-Noirs, the French-Algerian community, positioned himself as an outsider to the colonizer/colonized dichotomy. He aimed to be a mediator, above all, who despised indiscriminate violence and sought dialogue, and a truce, among the French and the Arabs of Algeria.
Today, despite the growing global demand for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, the west is still firmly guarding Tel Aviv’s scorched-earth ambitions. The latter aims to eliminate the Palestinian resistance, while the former — like Camus — peppers the genocide with talks of “moderate” solutions with “moderate” Palestinians.
The Algerian experience provides insights into parallels and breaking points with the ongoing Palestinian national liberation struggle. It demonstrates that imposing a ceasefire can inadvertently breed more violence it intends to suppress, and a dispassionate rejection of violence can deny the oppressed their dignity, whether in surrender or self-liberation.
