Middle East Monitor / December 24, 2020
Tunisia has declared its categorical rejection of normalising relations with Israel, stressing that this decision will not be affected by ongoing international developments.
This declaration came in the first statement released by the Tunisian authorities following Morocco’s announcement of its normalisation agreement with Israel.
The Tunisian Foreign Ministry stated: “Tunisia respects the sovereign positions of all states. However, we reaffirm our firm and principled position and we will never be affected by global changes,” reported Reuters.
The statement added that Tunisia’s position on normalisation stems from the will of the Tunisian people, and expresses the feelings of solidarity and unconditional support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
On Monday, The New York Times quoted sources close to the US administration predicting that Tunisia and the Sultanate of Oman could be the next states to normalise relations with Israel.
The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) issued a statement on Tuesday warning the authorities against taking any step towards normalisation with Israel.
In the same context, the UGTT affirmed its categorical rejection of rapprochement “with the Zionist enemy under any pretext”, and emphasised that the Palestinian issue is a central cause for the Tunisian people.
The statement asserted: “We witnessed the circulation of news about behind-the-scenes arrangements and undeclared meetings sponsored by France and the United States in order to convince the Tunisian state to normalise ties with the Zionist entity, as other Arab countries did, in exchange for financial incentives and aid in the form of bribes to hit the national positions of Tunisia and force the country to change its international and Arab policies.”
