A group of Tunisian lawmakers called on Friday to vote for a law unprecedented in the region that would punish any normalization with Israel with heavy prison sentences, a text from which President Kais Saied surprisingly distanced himself.
Debates on the text, which considers any connection with Israel at the level of institutions, companies and individuals as a “crime of treason,” began in Parliament on Thursday.
Parliament President Brahim Bouderbala, who spoke at the beginning of the proceedings of “perfect harmony between Parliament, the President and public opinion” on the issue, adjourned the session on Thursday without a vote.
He made this decision after being “informed by President Kais Saied that the bill criminalizing normalization with the Zionist entity would harm Tunisia’s security.”
Tunisia, which hosted the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) during the Yasser Arafat era from 1982 to 1994, strongly supports the Palestinian cause. President Saied has claimed in recent weeks that normalization amounts to “treason.”
The assembly did not resume work on Friday, but MPs including Abderrazek Aouidet, a member of Mr Saied’s support group who developed the text, insisted it be put to a vote.
“We are determined to adopt this law,” said Mr. Aouidet, affirming that it “in no way contradicts Tunisia’s declared interests and does not in any way affect the proper functioning of state institutions.”
On Wednesday, the head of diplomacy, Nabil Ammar, called for “study the implications” of the text and to take “time” to examine it, considering it impossible to “publish it in two days.”
AFP
The law prescribes penalties of 6 to 12 years in prison for any “communication, contact, propaganda, contracting or collaboration, directly or indirectly, by natural or legal persons of Tunisian nationality with any natural or legal person in association with the Zionist Unity connected.” .
Tunisians are also prohibited from any interaction with “individuals, institutions, organizations, governmental or non-governmental organizations” associated with Israel.
The Tunisian Jewish community numbers a thousand people, most of whom live on the island of Djerba (in the south), where every May a pilgrimage to the Ghriba Synagogue is organized, attracting thousands of people.