Tunisian President Kais Saied stirred controversy on Tuesday morning when he referenced the recent storm "Daniel" and remarked, "Daniel was a Hebrew prophet. No one wondered or bothered to ask why the storm was called that? Because the Zionist movement has permeated both the spirit and thought."
It is important to note that the storm Daniel wreaked havoc on the European continent, causing flooding in Greece and Turkey, with Greece experiencing its highest level of precipitation since 2006. The storm's impact also extended to North Africa, where it triggered one of the most devastating disasters in Libya's history. Official figures from Libya reveal a staggering toll, with 11,000 reported dead, over ten thousand still missing, and 34,000 people displaced from their homes. Last week, the World Health Organization confirmed the discovery of the bodies of 3,958 additional victims of this catastrophic event in the country.
Tunisian President Kais Saied blaming the Jewish people for Storm Daniel in Libya while he is actively destroying Tunisia, what a sick person.
ā Zineb Riboua (@zriboua) September 19, 2023
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President Saied's recent remarks, which can be characterized as both antisemitic and bizarre, follow an earlier terrorist attack in Tunisia that highlighted the country's prevalent antisemitic sentiment. During a festive Jewish event on the island of Djerba, two Jewish individuals, Benjamin and Aviel Haddad, tragically lost their lives at the hands of a Tunisian security guard who was entrusted with safeguarding the annual gathering. Benjamin held Tunisian-French citizenship, while Aviel was a Tunisian-Israeli citizen. The day after the attack, members of the island's Jewish community shared their profound grief, describing it as a "great disaster for the community."
In the aftermath of the tragedy in Tunis, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained close contact with the Djerba Jewish community and offered any necessary assistance. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen held a briefing concerning the fatal shooting near the synagogue on Djerba Island in Tunis and spoke with Rabbi Haim Bitan, the chief rabbi of Tunis.
As Tunisian analyst Amine Snoussi rightly pointed out, it's just the latest conspiratorial & anti-Semitic "delirium" from Tunisia's president, who seized all powers in a self-coup on July 25, 2021--the day he shut democratically elected parliament with army tanks. https://t.co/gbrjng2Niw
ā Monica Marks (@MonicaLMarks) September 19, 2023
On the night of the attack, the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior revealed that a security guard from the naval unit had killed his colleague, stolen his weapon, and attempted to approach the synagogue area. He opened fire, prompting a response from security personnel, who shot and killed him. This swift action likely averted a more catastrophic incident. The exchange of gunfire resulted in the injury of six security force members, with one security guard losing his life, and four other civilians sustaining injuries.
