A Jewish jeweler, minding his own business in Tunisia, finds himself the target of an axe attack, landing him in the hospital. This didn’t occur in the hustle and bustle of a major city, but rather on the serene island of Djerba, home to Africa’s oldest synagogue.
This 50-year-old man found himself at the wrong end of an axe, as reported by community leader Rene Trabelsi to The Associated Press. Now, this island isn’t just any old piece of land. No, sir, it holds a significant Jewish community, forming part of the remaining 1,500 Jews in Tunisia. It’s a place where Jewish pilgrims flock each year for the holiday Lag B’Omer, filling the 26-century-old El-Ghriba synagogue with spirit and camaraderie.
Trabelsi, himself a Jewish Tunisian and former tourism minister from 2018 to 2020, stated that the motivations behind the attack remain hazy. He cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the influence of religion or the forthcoming holiday, instead choosing to wait for the Tunisian authorities’ investigation.
This incident isn’t isolated. Two years ago, a Tunisian national guardman murdered two Jewish pilgrims and three security officers during the same festival. Last year, celebrations were scaled back. This year, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“We fully trust Tunisian authorities because we’re Tunisian too,” says Trabelsi. The jeweler is expected to recover from his wounds, and Tunisian police have strengthened security on the island. But the question that keeps bouncing around my mind is, what does this mean for the future of tolerance and coexistence in Tunisia?
Anti-Semitism is an old wound, one that continues to fester, not just in Tunisia but across the globe. It’s a stain on the fabric of our humanity and a reminder of a darkness we must continue to confront.
