Born in 1947 in Tunis, Sophie Bessis comes from a family from the Tunisian Jewish bourgeoisie.
His mother, Juliette Saada Bessis, historian and former member of the Tunisian Communist Party, as well as his father Aldo, communist leader and trade union activist, marked his intellectual heritage.
His grandfather, President Albert Bessis, also played a significant political role as a Tunisian minister and deputy.
Sophie Bessis followed a brilliant academic career, becoming an associate professor of history in 1972. Her first autobiographical story, “Dedans – Dehors” published in 2010, offers a personal insight into the 1970s which marked her.
Professionally, Sophie Bessis has held various roles, including that of Deputy Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) for almost 20 years.
She also taught the political economy of development at the Sorbonne and at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO).
Her journalistic commitment includes positions such as editor-in-chief of Courrier de l'Unesco and journalist at Jeune Afrique from the end of the 1970s.
In 2018, Sophie Bessis became an associate researcher at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) in Paris, specializing in North-South relations, African and Maghreb issues.
His literary work, centered on North-South relations, is marked by titles such as "The West and the Others. History of Supremacy" (2001).
His wanderings in Africa as a reporter also influenced his view of the sub-Saharan continent.
Tunisia occupies a central place in its concerns, with a biography of ex-president Habib Bourguiba and the work "History of Tunisia: from Carthage to the present day" (2019), which explores 3,000 years of history of dense and problematic manner.
Regarding the Tunisian revolution of 2011, Sophie Bessis emphasizes that Tunisians eliminated the concept of leader to access democracy.
She continues to question the political evolution of the country, particularly after Kaïs Saïed came to power in 2019.
Sophie Bessis is not left out regarding women's issues.
Her writings, such as “Women of the Maghreb: the issue” (1992) and “Les Valeureuses: five Tunisian women in history” (2017), highlight the role of women in Maghreb society.
The Palestinian question also occupies an important place in her speech, as evidenced by her letter to Hannah Arendt in 2021. Sophie Bessis criticizes Western support for Israel and calls for lessons from history, emphasizing that it is often the weakest who end up winning.
Sophie Bessis embodies a rich intellectual and professional career, nourished by her family commitments, her activism, and her critical view on global issues, from Africa to Palestine.
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