Algeria’s Contradiction: Denouncing Israel in Public, Voting for the Two-State Solution Behind Closed Doors

By ALDAR / Meryem Hafiani

In a scene that lays bare the gap between rhetoric and reality, Algeria voted at the United Nations General Assembly in favor of the “New York Declaration for a Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine” — a text that calls for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, in other words, the so-called “two-state solution.”

Algeria, which relentlessly resorts to fiery rhetoric and harsh accusations against what it calls “the Zionist entity,” and which likes to present itself to Palestinian and Arab public opinion as an unconditional supporter of the Palestinian cause “whether right or wrong,” ultimately opted for a political choice that endorses the coexistence of Israel alongside Palestine. For many, this vote illustrates an ambiguous diplomacy, wavering between verbal overbidding and alignment with international compromises.

The resolution, adopted by 142 countries against 10 votes in opposition and 12 abstentions, highlights the fact that Algeria is effectively embracing the UN-backed framework of Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. This, despite its official radical discourse, often showcased as a “matter of principle.”

Algeria thus finds itself facing a blurred diplomatic image — proclaiming slogans of “resistance” in public while endorsing the principle of two states in the UN corridors. A contradiction that raises serious questions about the credibility of its political discourse and the consistency between its words and actions.