Algeria and Palestine… Loud Slogans, Empty Hands
ALDAR / Meryem Hafiani
For decades, the Algerian regime has sought to present itself as a resounding voice in the defense of the Palestinian cause, piling up condemnation speeches in international forums and outbidding its Arab brothers at every Arab or Islamic summit.
Yet, when this verbal fervor is weighed against actual deeds, it reveals a startling void. No regular financial transfers, no humanitarian or medical projects in Gaza, no hospitals, no trucks of medicine, not even a symbolic support budget to substantiate this historic claim of solidarity.
Admissions from Palestinian officials themselves confirm that Algeria is virtually the only exception in the Arab world that has not provided any regular material support, neither to Hamas nor to the Palestinian Authority.
At the same time, while the Algerian regime forbids its own people from protesting in solidarity with Gaza, it attacks the countries that actually take the initiative to deliver real, on-the-ground assistance. Morocco, for example, has sent planes loaded with medicines and supplies via a direct air bridge; Qatar and Turkey have financed monthly transfers and support projects for years; the United Arab Emirates provides continuous aid to Gaza and Palestine, as does Saudi Arabia. Algeria, meanwhile, has limited itself to waving political files and using the Palestinian cause as a card in its conflict with Morocco, rather than as a principled commitment to a people living under siege.
Even more troubling, international reports indicate that more than half of the aid reaching Gaza is wasted or embezzled before it reaches its intended recipients. Despite this, the Algerian regime does not hesitate to exploit this reality to justify its absence, and to continue its theatrical oratory on the stage of empty speeches.
Those who truly love Palestine do not bargain it away at conferences, nor abandon it when it needs medicine and food. They extend a helping hand through actions, not words — something Algeria has failed to do.
