Tunisian Jewish Man Arrested in Djerba: Official Community Denies Rumors of Antisemitic Bias

Videos circulating online showed groups of Jewish citizens protesting the arrest of a community member in Djerba over the weekend, over allegations that the arrest was motivated by antisemitic hatred.

According to the official Tunisian Jewish community, the man was arrested on Sunday after being sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison, and the decision was justifed.

Several social media reports speculated that the arrest was linked to his stance on the Israel-Hamas war. A widely followed account, Al Kasserine, claimed, “A Tunisian Zionist returned from Israel after being involved in the war on Gaza.”

However, the Tunisian Jewish Community Authority dismissed these claims, stating in a public announcement that the arrest was the enforcement of a final judicial decision. The authority clarified that the man had been sentenced for his involvement in a public interest case concerning the burning of a car, an incident that occurred years ago.

On Sunday, the community urged people to disregard misleading information circulating on digital platforms and social media regarding the circumstances of the arrest.

Djerba is home to the majority of Tunisia’s Jewish community, estimated at around 2,000 people. Most reside in Hara Kabira (the larger quarter) and Hara Saghira (the smaller quarter), the latter being home to the historic El Ghriba Synagogue, one of North Africa’s oldest shuls.

Tunisian Jewish Man arrested in Djerba, social media claims arrest politically motivated but Official Community backs arrest

Videos were published showing groups of Jewish citizens attempting to break into a police station and block roads leading to it on the island in protest against the arrest.
A Jewish man from the Tunisian island of Djerba was reportedly arrested on Sunday after having been sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison, according to Arabic media and the Tunisian Jewish community.

Videos were published showing groups of Jewish citizens attempting to break into a police station and block roads leading to it on the island in protest against the arrest.

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Several reports on social media claimed that the Tunisian Jew’s arrest was due to his stance on the Israel-Hamas War. A prominent account called Al Kasserine said, “A Tunisian Zionist returned from Israel after he was involved in the war on Gaza.”

The Tunisian Jewish Community Authority, however, denied this, saying in a public statement that his arrest “was the implementation of a final judicial decision sentencing him to seven years in prison in a public interest case involving the burning of a car, the events of which date back several years.”

The authority said on Sunday that some “digital platforms and social media sites have circulated inaccurate news regarding the reason for the arrest of a Tunisian Jewish citizen on the island of Djerba on Saturday.”It asked people not to be swayed by rumors.

According to Al Alhurra, citing a security source, the man’s arrests reportedly led to large protests from the residents of his neighborhood, Haret El Yahoud. The same source also denied that the arrest was politically motivated.Mustafa Abdel Kabir, the head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, said that the man was sentenced to death in absentia, as he had been residing in the capital before returning to Djerba.

Djerba is home to most of Tunisia’s Jewish community, numbering about 2000 people. Most of the Jews live in Hara Kabira (the bigger quarter) and Hara Saghira (the smaller quarter), which includes the famous El Ghriba Synagogue, one of the oldest Jewish synagogues in North Africa.