Norwegian Jade in Venice. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Israeli tourists were denied the right to disembark from the Norwegian Jade, a vessel operated by the Norwegian Cruise Line, when it stopped in the Port of Tunis, Tunisia recently, Jewish human rights organization B’nai Brith Canada said on Sunday.

As passengers prepared to get off the ship to visit the North African republic, the Israelis were quietly told that they were not welcomed by the Tunisian Government, the group said in a statement.

The cruise line did not advise the passengers in advance that Israeli tourists would be confined to the ship for the stop. Other Jewish passengers were unaware that their coreligionists were being detained, since no public announcements were made. They were outraged when it became known, B’nai Brith Canada said.

The group’s CEO, Frank Dimant, said the Norwegian Cruise Line has “a responsibility to its passengers” to “advise them of this discriminatory policy in advance.”

“Better still the cruise line should avoid ports that have such policies,” he added.

B’nai Brith Canada says it is the only national, independent voice of Jewish Canadians.