Israel Presses International Community to Protect Tunisian Jews
Share this Article
Twitter
Facebook
Digg
Stumble
PrintTags:
Arab antisemitism Chokri Belaid Ennahda Ethnic Cleansing of Jews From Middle East Mizrahi Jews Tunisia Arab Spring Tunisia Ben Ali Tunisia Islamists Tunisia Israel Tunisia Jews
The El Ghriba synagogue in Tunisia. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has instructed its diplomats to press the international community to encourage Tunisia to protect its Jewish community and sites, Ynet reported.
In late 2010, Tunisia became the birthplace of the “Arab Spring” revolts after deposing longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. A recent assassination of a popular secular politician and human rights advocate, Chokri Belaid, has led to more instability and protests against the ruling Islamist government, while Islamist supporters also staged counter protests.
Amid the renewed instability, the Israeli Foreign Ministry fears that Tunisia’s small Jewish community, estimated to be around 2,000, will face greater dangers. Over the past several weeks, several dozen Jewish gravestones were desecrated and anti-Semitic incitement has risen.
“There appears to be an increase in anti-Semitic statements among local religious clerics and cases of public incitement against Jews,” says a report written by Gideon Bachar, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Combating Anti-Semitism, according to Ynet.
12:39 pm
Israel wants to complicate matters and make the life ofthe tunisian Jews difficult. The civil society in Tunisia has amply denunciated these barbaric acts. Remember that this very small minority of salafists also destroy muslim tumbs and mausoleums across Tunisia, to the horror of Tunisians that amply protested and called on the Ministry of Interior to protect both the jewish sites and the muslim ones. Remeber also that during the war the tunisian bey (king if you want) although under French Petain’s rule defended its jewish citizen and avoided them the death camps!