Jean Daniel

Jean Daniel , of his true name Jean Daniel Bensaïd , is a Journaliste French, director of the drafting of the Nouvel Observateur , born the July 21st 1920 with Blida (Algérie).

Biography

Its childhood during the inter-war period

Jean Daniel was born with Blida, a small town of garrison close to Algiers. Raised in a Jewish family of Algeria, it is eleventh and last child of Jules Bensaïd, who had socially risen condition of modest workman, to that of easy trader in Minoterie. If his/her father chairs the local Consistoire, it seems very early Agnostique, less attached to its Jewish identity than with the Mediterranean culture and the French citizenship. Raise with the colonial college of Blida, it becomes, as of the fifteen years age, an assiduous reader of the weekly magazine Friday , newspaper of a intellectual left, independent and favorable to the Popular front. Impassioned by the Literature, its enthusiasm for the work of André Gide leads it to see in the the USSR. the socialist paradise. During two years, it is plunged in the Marxisme under the influence of the books which a friend lends to him, Vicente Pérez. But in 1936, reading of the Return of the USSR. of Andre Gide makes him lose his communist illusions . It is found then in this generation of noncommunist left marked by the episode of the Popular front and the socialism of Leon Blum. Registered voter in Philosophy with the faculty of Algiers, it attends there the “Friends of the review Esprit ”.

Second world war

But the abrogation of the Décret Crémieux (1941) blocks its prospects. Initially, he hesitates to turn to a solution Zionist. But the short speeches gaulliennes dissuade some as much as the protection which professor Ménard grants to him. A friend, Jose Aboulker, then leads it to attend a group of resistant which contributes, on November 8th, 1942, with the release of Algiers and the reception of the Americans. Incorporated in the army of Giraud, it chooses to engage in the division Leclerc where it is affected with transport of explosives. After a long stay with Casablanca in his friend Charles Guetta, it takes part in the countryside of France until its demobilization with Paris in 1945.

Years of post-war period

It hopes to be registered in philosophy with the Sorbonne but, without resources, must be put in the search of a work. One of its former professors de Blida then recommends it to one his/her friends who directed the cabinet of the President of the Council. During eight month (1946), it is thus used as attache with the cabinet as Felix Gouin, socialist near to Blum of which it writes the speeches. In parallel, it publishes some articles in Combat but, duty of reserve obliges, under the name of Daniel (its second first name). The spectacle of the phenomena of court, the servility and the corruption of the mediums that it côtoie cure it there of any political temptation so much so that it refuse a post of sub-prefect that one proposes to him.

He prefers to resume his studies in the Sorbonne, wages paid by the National company of the press companies enabling him to provide for his needs. Y making, amongst other things, the knowledge of François Châtelet, it obtains its license and engages in the preparation of aggregation. But the project of a intellectual review works it.

In February 1947, it financially founds with Daniel Bernstein the review Caliban which wants to be “a review of intellectual popularization of high behavior, at the same time explicitly marked on the left, independent and accessible by all the ideological sensitivities”. Imposing itself on the post of editor association in November 1947, it made there collaborate writers like Andre Chamson, Louis Guilloux, Étiemble, Jules Roy or Emmanuel Roblès. He solicits also close relations like his cousin Norbert Bensaïd, his partner Marie Susini, his companion of the Faculty of Algiers Albert Paul-Lentin, Maurice Adrey and his professors de Lycée. But it is especially its meeting with Albert Camus which marks it deeply. In December 1947, it publishes uncommitted proclamation thus that this last signed with Jean-Paul Sartre, Claude Bourdet, Jean-Marie Domenach, Emmanuel Mounier and Merleau-Ponty in favor of the economic unit of Europe independent of the two blocks. Sharing the opposition camusienne to the Soviet model, it is then in favor of non-alignment to the head of a review located “some share between the Communist party and SFIO”. But apart from his intellectual influence, Albert Camus brings public finances through his wife to him, director of the cabinet of Rene Pleven, and his bonds with the director of the Cultural relations, Louis Joxe. Its supports prove however insufficient and, in 1952, the review ceases appearing. In the search of an employment, it finds a place of teacher to the courses Descartes, a private school of Oran directed by André Bénichou. He then writes its first novel, the Error, that his/her friend Albert Camus publishes in the collection that he directs to Gallimard. But journalism seems to him to be the ideal place where to combine all that attracts it: literature, political commitment and great report. In 1953, it thus enters to the General society of press where it deals with the colonial businesses. It binds to it then with K.S. Karol, Léone Georges-Barb and especially Pierre Viansson-Ponté which allows him, in November 1954, to publish its first article in the Express train .

Its years journalist-to defer

At the end of two measuring rods, it is engaged by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber with the responsibility of cover the events of Algeria. If it feels ideologically very near to Pierre Mendès France, it completely supports the campaigns mendesists of the newspaper of second half of the Années 1950.

Very quickly, it is pointed out by its reports on the Guerre of Algeria in which it denounces in particular torture. Favorable to the Algerian cause, it defends the negotiations with FLN, which involves its rupture with Albert Camus. Accused twice for attack with the state security, it is in the beginning, by his articles, of almost all the seizures of the Express train . But, in July 1961, it is seriously wounded at the time of the incidents of Bizerte. It spends long months in convalescence during which it expresses its refusal to sign the Manifeste of the 121 and its approval of the policy of De Gaulle. On its return to the Express train , the War of Algeria being finished, it loses of sound will have and its reports/ratios are degraded with Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber.

But it acquires the stature of a journalist of international reputation by bringing back the reaction of Fidel Castro to the advertisement of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963. But at the time of its return to Paris at the end 1963, it is accommodated rather coldly to have wanted to be used as intermediary with the dialog between the two presidents. Moreover, he refuses to join the setting-up of a newspaper as impersonal as depolitized. Thus, whereas he refuses to come to France Observer like proposes Gilles Martinet to him, he breaks with the Express train during the winter 1963-1964, carrying all the left wing of newspaper (K.S. Karol, Serge Lafaurie, Michel Bosquet, Michel Cournot, Michele Manceaux, Michel Vianey, Jean Cau, Jeanne Baraduc, Pascale Lentillon, Anne-Marie Devilaine, Jacques-Laurent Bost, Jean Moreau).

Contacted by Hubert Beuve-Méry to enter to the newspaper Le Monde, it prefers to reflect and be limited to offer the exclusiveness in its articles to him on the cuban crisis. Withdrawn with Sidi Bou Saïd, it is started again by his friend Claude Perdriel to take part in a new newspaper or the revival of France Observer . Finally, it is this option which it chooses and undertakes, as from spring, the negotiations with Gilles Martinet and his friends. At the end of the summer, they lead to the following principle: it will take the direction of the drafting whereas Hector de Galard ensures the drafting as a chief. Soon it will become one of the actors major of the Nouvel Observateur, newspaper of center left or it writes each week the leading article.

It was a time member of the Superior council of the Agence France-Press (AFP), member of the Board of directors of the Grand Louvre, and member of the national Advisory committee of ethics.

Distinctions

international Viareggio Price, 2005
Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Algiers, 2004
Price Prince of Asturies, 2004
Large Medal of Vermeil of the town of Paris

Decorations

Commander of the Legion of honor
Commander of the National order of the Merit
Military Cross 1939-1945
Commander of the Arts and Lettres

Works

1952 : the Error or Second Life of Sylvain Glance .
1973 : the Time which remains , test of professional autobiography
1977: the autobiographical Refuge and source, notebooks
1979: the Era of the ruptures (Grasset)
1986: De Gaulle and Algeria: the tragedy, the hero and the witness (the Threshold)
1988: Religions of a president: glances on the adventures of the mitterrandism
1989: This great gleam in the East
1992: the Wound followed the Time which comes , autobiographical notebooks (Grasset)
1994: the English Friend (Grasset)
1995: Voyage at the end of the nation (the Threshold)
1996: God is it fanatic? Test on a nun incapacity to believe (Arléa)
1998: With time: notebooks 1970-1998 , autobiographical notebooks (Grasset)
2000: Suns of winter: notebooks 1998-2000 , autobiographical notebooks (Grasset)
2002: Letters of France: after September 11th (Saint-Simon)
2002: autobiographical Works (Grasset), (joins together the Refuge and the source, the Time which remains , the Wound , With time , Suns of winter , the increased whole of an Index)
2003: the War and peace: Israel-Palestine: chronicles, 1956-2003 (Odile Jacob)
2003: the Jewish Prison: moods and meditations of a witness (Odile Jacob)
2004: This foreigner who resembles to me (Grasset)
2006: With Camus: How to resist the air of time (Gallimard NRF)

External bond

Site of Jean Daniel

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