Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel, The Day of the Jackal, intricately portrays the motivations of conspirators planning to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, focusing on the pied-noirs, Frenchmen from Algeria. Their sense of betrayal fuels their radical intentions and illustrates a connection to historical events, notably previous assassination attempts on De Gaulle. Similarly, the case of Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas, raises questions about the radicalization of Americans serving in Israel's military, with parallels drawn to past violent figures like Baruch Goldstein, highlighting the complex identities and motivations behind such actions.
In many ways, the pied-noirs regard themselves as being more French than the French, revealing the complexity of identity in post-colonial contexts.
The question of what radicalizes individuals like Edan Alexander is not just personal; it speaks to a broader cultural phenomenon that involves commitment and identity.
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