René Backmann

René Backmann (24 February 1944 – 29 January ⁠2026) was a French journalist known for international reporting at Le Nouvel Observateur and later for his columns at Mediapart, with work focusing on the Middle East and on questions of rights and humanitarian crises. He was the author of Un mur en Palestine and the English-language A Wall in Palestine, a reported study of the West Bank barrier that drew notice in the French and Anglophone press. His distinctions include the Mumm Foundation Prize for journalism, cited for an investigation into the financing of Islamist movements.

Career Backmann spent more than 40 years as an investigative reporter and foreign correspondent at Le Nouvel Observateur, ultimately serving as editor in chief of the weekly's foreign desk. His analysis also appeared in periodicals such as Confluences Méditerranée, where he published essays on civil military relations in Israel and debates about the role of religion in the army.

Death Backmann died on 29 January 2026, at the age of 81.