Henri Curiel
Encyclopedia
Henri Curiel was a left-wing political activist. Born in Egypt
, Curiel led the communist Democratic Movement for National Liberation
until he was expelled from the country in 1950. Settling in France, Curiel aided the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale
and other national liberation causes. In 1978 Curiel was assassinated in Paris; his killer has never been identified.
, a physicist and anti-fascist militant who was murdered in Italy
in 1945. His brother Raoul Curiel was a greatly admired archeologist and numismatist, specialized in Central Asian studies. His son is the French journalist Alain Gresh. Curiel was also a cousin of the famous British KGB
spy George Blake
, who later said that his encounter with Curiel as a teenager (when Curiel was older and already a Communist) shaped his political views.
In 1943 Curiel founded the communist Egyptian Movement for National Liberation (HAMETU), which in 1947 became the Democratic Movement for National Liberation
(HADETU). He was repeatedly arrested along with many other communists and, despite his Egyptian citizenship, forced to emigrate in 1950. He established himself in France and led a circle of Jewish communist emigres from Egypt known as the "Rome Group".
which supported the Front de Libération Nationale
(FLN) during the Algerian War
(1954–62). He was arrested by the French security services in 1960. Curiel was then one of the founders of "Solidarité", a support group for various anticolonial and opposition movements in the Third World
(in particular Africa
and Latin America
), such as the African National Congress
(ANC).
In 1976, Henri Curiel initiated contacts with Israel
i and Palestinian
representatives willing to negotiate a mutual recognition. Several meetings, later known as the "Paris talks", were organized.
Under chairmanship of Pierre Mendès-France
, they included among others Issam Sartawi
, adviser to Yasser Arafat
, Uri Avnery
and Mattityahu Peled
, members of the Israeli Council For Israeli-Palestinian Peace (ICIPP).
On June 21, 1976, Georges Suffert published in the French
magazine Le Point
an article presenting Curiel as the "head of the terrorist support network", connected with the KGB
. He was put under house arrest in Digne, an administrative measure that was lifted once the charges were proved inexistent.
An American intelligence report from 1981 (a Special National Intelligence Estimate) states that Curiel's organization "has provided support to a wide variety of Third World leftist revolutionary organizations," including "false documents, financial aid, and safehaven before and after operations, as well as some illegal training in France in weapons and explosives." The authors further comment that his group's "association with non-Communist and nonviolent leaders, including clergymen, has tended to cloak the nature and extent of its operations."
Henri Curiel was assassinated in Paris on May 4, 1978. A far-right group claimed responsibility, but the case is still unsolved. Speculations persist in three directions:
Henri Curiel is buried at Père Lachaise cemetery, Paris
.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Curiel led the communist Democratic Movement for National Liberation
Democratic Movement for National Liberation
The Democratic Movement for National Liberation was a communist organization in Egypt 1947-1955. HADITU was led by Henri Curiel. The movement followed a line of National Democratic Revolution....
until he was expelled from the country in 1950. Settling in France, Curiel aided the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale
Front de Libération Nationale
Front de Libération Nationale may refer to:* National Liberation Front , a socialist political party founded in 1954 for independence from France for Algeria...
and other national liberation causes. In 1978 Curiel was assassinated in Paris; his killer has never been identified.
Egypt
Born in Cairo to a Jewish family of Italian origins, he was the cousin of Eugenio CurielEugenio Curiel
Eugenio Curiel was an Italian physicist and a prominent figure of the Italian resistance movement. He was awarded a gold medal for military valour.- Life :...
, a physicist and anti-fascist militant who was murdered in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1945. His brother Raoul Curiel was a greatly admired archeologist and numismatist, specialized in Central Asian studies. His son is the French journalist Alain Gresh. Curiel was also a cousin of the famous British KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
spy George Blake
George Blake
George Blake is a former British spy known for having been a double agent in the service of the Soviet Union. Discovered in 1961 and sentenced to 42 years in prison, he escaped from Wormwood Scrubs prison in 1966 and fled to the USSR...
, who later said that his encounter with Curiel as a teenager (when Curiel was older and already a Communist) shaped his political views.
In 1943 Curiel founded the communist Egyptian Movement for National Liberation (HAMETU), which in 1947 became the Democratic Movement for National Liberation
Democratic Movement for National Liberation
The Democratic Movement for National Liberation was a communist organization in Egypt 1947-1955. HADITU was led by Henri Curiel. The movement followed a line of National Democratic Revolution....
(HADETU). He was repeatedly arrested along with many other communists and, despite his Egyptian citizenship, forced to emigrate in 1950. He established himself in France and led a circle of Jewish communist emigres from Egypt known as the "Rome Group".
Anti-colonial activism
Henri Curiel worked for the Jeanson networkJeanson network
The Jeanson network was a group of French communist militants led by Francis Jeanson who helped Algerian National Liberation Front agents operating in the French metropolitan territory during the Algerian War. They were mainly involved in carrying money and papers for the Algerians and were...
which supported the Front de Libération Nationale
Front de Libération Nationale
Front de Libération Nationale may refer to:* National Liberation Front , a socialist political party founded in 1954 for independence from France for Algeria...
(FLN) during the Algerian War
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
(1954–62). He was arrested by the French security services in 1960. Curiel was then one of the founders of "Solidarité", a support group for various anticolonial and opposition movements in the Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
(in particular Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
), such as the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC).
In 1976, Henri Curiel initiated contacts with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i and Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
representatives willing to negotiate a mutual recognition. Several meetings, later known as the "Paris talks", were organized.
Under chairmanship of Pierre Mendès-France
Pierre Mendès-France
Pierre Mendès France was a French politician. He descended from a Portuguese Jewish family that moved to France in the sixteenth century.-Third Republic and World War II:...
, they included among others Issam Sartawi
Issam Sartawi
Dr Issam Sartawi was a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization .-Medical background:Issam Sartawi attended university in Baghdad, graduating in medicine, before specializing in cardiology and getting his MD in the United States.-Politics:Sartawi returned to Palestine in 1967, joined...
, adviser to Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
, Uri Avnery
Uri Avnery
Uri Avnery is an Israeli writer and founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement.A member of the Irgun as a teenager, Avnery sat in the Knesset from 1965–74 and 1979–81...
and Mattityahu Peled
Mattityahu Peled
Mattityahu "Matti" Peled was a well-known Israeli public figure who was at various periods of his life a professional military man who reached the rank of Aluf in the IDF and was a member of the General Staff during the Six Day War of 1967; a notable scholar who headed the Arabic Language and...
, members of the Israeli Council For Israeli-Palestinian Peace (ICIPP).
On June 21, 1976, Georges Suffert published in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
magazine Le Point
Le Point
Le Point is a French weekly news magazine. It was founded in 1972 by a group of journalists who had, one year earlier, left the editorial team of L'Express, which was then owned by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, a député of the Parti Radical...
an article presenting Curiel as the "head of the terrorist support network", connected with the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
. He was put under house arrest in Digne, an administrative measure that was lifted once the charges were proved inexistent.
An American intelligence report from 1981 (a Special National Intelligence Estimate) states that Curiel's organization "has provided support to a wide variety of Third World leftist revolutionary organizations," including "false documents, financial aid, and safehaven before and after operations, as well as some illegal training in France in weapons and explosives." The authors further comment that his group's "association with non-Communist and nonviolent leaders, including clergymen, has tended to cloak the nature and extent of its operations."
Assassination
- Jean-Pierre Maïon, a French criminal linked to the SDECE and the OASOrganisation armée secrèteThe Organisation de l'armée secrète was a short-lived, French far-right nationalist militant and underground organization during the Algerian War . The OAS used armed struggle in an attempt to prevent Algeria's independence...
, who worked as informant for Lucien Aimé-BlancLucien Aimé-BlancLucien Aimé-Blanc is a former French police officer. He was vice chief of staff of the Antigang brigade and also of the Narcotics brigade. He led the Office central de répression du banditisme ....
, and may have killed Henri Curiel on behalf of the GALGrupos Antiterroristas de LiberaciónGrupos Antiterroristas de Liberación were death squads established illegally by officials of the Spanish government to fight ETA, the principal Basque separatist militant group. They were active from 1983 until 1987, under Spanish Socialist Workers Party -led governments...
Spanish death squad - the Abu NidalAbu NidalAbu Nidal , born Sabri Khalil al-Banna , was the founder of Fatah–The Revolutionary Council , a militant Palestinian group more commonly known as the Abu Nidal Organization...
group (which allegedly shot later also Issam SartawiIssam SartawiDr Issam Sartawi was a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization .-Medical background:Issam Sartawi attended university in Baghdad, graduating in medicine, before specializing in cardiology and getting his MD in the United States.-Politics:Sartawi returned to Palestine in 1967, joined...
), allegedly commissioned by the KGBKGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
. - the South African Bureau Of State SecuritySouth African Bureau of State SecurityThe South African Bureau for State Security was established in 1969 and replaced by the National Intelligence Service in 1980. The Bureau's job was to monitor national security...
(for his help to the ANCAfrican National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
)
Henri Curiel is buried at Père Lachaise cemetery, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
See also
- List of assassinated people
- Anti-colonialism
- Wars of national liberationWars of national liberationIn Marxist terminology, wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by oppressed nationalities against imperial powers to establish separate sovereign states for the subjugated nationality. From a Western point of view, these same wars are called insurgencies...
- Israeli-Palestinian ConflictIsraeli-Palestinian conflictThe Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
- Adolfo KaminskyAdolfo KaminskyAdolfo Kaminsky or Adolphe Kaminsky is a former French Resistance, specializing in the forgery of identity documents, who later went on to assist Jewish emigration to Israel and then to forge identity documents for the National Liberation Front and French draft dodgers during the Algerian War...
- Jeanson networkJeanson networkThe Jeanson network was a group of French communist militants led by Francis Jeanson who helped Algerian National Liberation Front agents operating in the French metropolitan territory during the Algerian War. They were mainly involved in carrying money and papers for the Algerians and were...
External links
- The Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry - Culture, Politics, and the Formation of a Modern Diaspora
- Inventory of the papers of the. EGYPTIAN COMMUNISTS IN EXILE (ROME GROUP)
- The silent idealist by Uri Avnery, Le Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
, April 1998 - BASE DE DONNEES SUR LES ACTES TERRORISTES
- Spies Encyclopedia - Blake, George