Danby adds his voice
The chairperson of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians has condemned the antisemitic slogans which greeted the leader if Hamas when he visited Tunisia last week.
Fiamma Nirenstein said: “As chairperson of the (ICJP), I strongly condemn the antisemitic slogans chanted last week by a group of Tunisian citizens that welcomed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on his visit to the country. The group, which has been identified as part of the extremist Salafi movement, shouted “kill the Jews” and “crash the Jews”, while receiving Haniyeh at Tunis’ airport. On another occasion, during a rally for Haniyeh on Sunday, January 8th, it has been reported that supporters of the banned ultraconservative Al Tahrir party called for the death of Israel.
The International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians expresses its solidarity and support for the local Jewish community, which is understandably alarmed by the rise of extremist voices in Tunisia.
Michael Danby
Australian Federal Labor MP Michael Danby added: “We commend the reaction of the Ennhada Party – an Islamist party banned under former President Ben Ali’s regime, and now the major political force in the country – whose leader slammed the antisemitic chants and received the head of the local Jewish community, stating that, “Tunisia’s Jews are full citizens with equal rights and duties.
We hope the new era in Tunisia fosters an atmosphere of tolerance and goodwill and creates the necessary conditions for a wider reconciliation between the hundreds of thousands of Jews who have fled their native countries in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as for the recognition of Tunisia’s Israeli neighbor.”
