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The Jewish pilgrimage of the Ghriba in Tunisia, the largest Jewish concentration on the African continent, has had a bloody outcome. An armed attack caused four deaths last night, including two civilians. The attacker was shot down. The place of worship had already been the target of a terrorist attack in 2002.
With Amira Souilem, RFI correspondent in Tunisia
Throughout the night, videos showing pilgrims confined to the Djerba synagogue circulated on Tunisian social networks without anyone knowing what was happening. The Ministry of the Interior put an end to this confusion late at night by confirming that there had indeed been an attack on the Ghriba pilgrimage.
According to the Tunisian authorities, it was a member of the National Maritime Guard who killed one of his companions, stole his weapon and then went to the synagogue. Outside the place of worship, he opened fire on the policemen who were protecting him. The assailant then killed another member of the police and two civilians.
thousands of pilgrims
The attack brings to mind that of 2002, in which 21 people died. The Ghriba pilgrimage, which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year, has been closely monitored by the Tunisian authorities.
Organized on the 33rd day of the Jewish Passover, the Ghriba pilgrimage is at the heart of the traditions of Tunisians of the Jewish confession, of which there are only 1,500, the majority settled in Djerba, compared to the 100,000 that existed before independence in 1956. Other pilgrims traditionally come from European countries, the United States or Israel, but their number has decreased considerably after the 2002 attack.
Sentence
France condemned “in the strongest terms” the attack on the Ghriba synagogue in Tunis, which claimed the life of a Frenchman, a “hateful” act, according to the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We stand by Tunisia’s side in the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of fanaticism,” said Anne-Claire Legendre.
#Tunisie | La France appris avec consternation et une profonde tristesse l’attentat perpetré à Djerba, à la synagogue de la Ghriba, qui a cuté la vie à 4 people without a compatriot, even if des fidèles et des membres des force des securité Tunisians.
Statement ➡️… pic.twitter.com/lOFcwQ3zhc
—France Diplomatie???? (@francediplo) May 10, 2023
“The United States deplores the attack in Tunisia, which coincides with the annual Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue, which attracts worshipers from around the world. We express our condolences to the Tunisian people and salute the swift action of the Tunisian security forces.” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also responded on Twitter.
