The ancient El Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia was targeted tuesday firing attack The night in which five people died.
The foreign ministry announced Wednesday morning that two Jewish cousins, Aviel and Ben Haddad, were among those killed in the attack.
A guard at the Tunisian National Guard’s naval center in Djerba killed a colleague and then headed towards the synagogue, which was packed with worshipers and visitors from overseas. make baomer festive, He fired shots into the meeting; Security guards at the location responded and killed the shooter.
Anti-Semitism plaguing Djerba’s Jewish community
Anti-Semitism has been rampant in Djerba’s Jewish community for some time. Israel has become aware of the problem and working to find a solution in the months before the attack, Jerusalem Post’S Zwika Klein has revealed.
Klein found that the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel have been monitoring a serious threat against the Jewish community in Djerba for several months. Israel is operating under the radar to counter the threat.
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli tweeted on Wednesday that the ministry had a discussion with the Jewish Agency more than a month before the attack, “a joint action that would help members of the community who want to immigrate.” Israel.”
A serious incident in the Jewish community in Tunis, two dead from the Jewish community and two police officers who worked to quell the attack, the incident is over. About a month and a half ago, in view of the tension in the country, we had an emergency discussion of the Ministry of Emigration, Alia and the Jewish Agency, in which we agreed on a joint action that would help the members. communities who wish to immigrate to Israel.
— אמיחי שיקלי – Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) May 10, 2023
As the Jewish state, it is Israel’s responsibility not only to regularly speak out against anti-Semitism around the world, but also to provide support – and, if necessary, shelter – to Jewish communities in the face of anti-Semitic attacks. – give. The government and the Ministry of Overseas Affairs have done exactly what they have been tasked to do: protect the Jewish people both in Israel and abroad.
Israel is working to develop ways to make aliyah (immigration to Israel) more easily accessible to members of this at-risk community. The Jewish Agency is providing assistance to the bereaved families.
That being said, Israel could have prevented this from happening. While Israel and the Jewish Agency play a role in helping to secure Jewish communities around the world, no Israeli defenses exist within Tunisia that could thwart an attack.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of local governments to protect their Jewish communities. Israel’s status as the homeland of the Jewish people does not absolve governments of their duty to ensure the safety of their Jewish citizens.
If Israel was aware of this risk to the Jewish community in Tunisia, it is hard to imagine that the local government was completely unaware of the danger to its Jewish citizens.
It appears, indeed, that the Tunisian government has played a role in fostering an environment of hostility targeted at the Jewish community.
A senior Israeli government official reportedly said two months earlier, referring to the Jewish community in Djerba, “Jews are being picked on by the press and the local police, with a sense of antisemitism coming from the local government.”
There is a direct link between antisemitism promoted or tolerated by local governments and physical attacks on Jews. The Tunisian government must come under pressure from its interlocutors in the international community to immediately stop targeting the country’s Jewish community and ensure the community’s safety.
Tuesday’s attack comes two days after the Israeli government passed a historic decision officially remembers the Jews Killed in anti-Jewish attacks around the world. Steps under consideration include an annual state ceremony to commemorate Jews killed in anti-Semitic attacks and the creation of a physical memorial.
The creation of Israel marked a turning point in Jewish history. Jews are no longer at the mercy of hostile governments – they have a place to go and a government and military that can help ensure their safety, wherever they are.
But Israel cannot and should not expect to be the sole guarantor of Jewish security around the world. Local governments should be expected to protect their local Jewish communities – and certainly away from anything that might put them in danger. Israel, Jewish communities and our friends and allies should demand nothing less.