Amid deadly Israeli air-raids on Gaza [12], a terror attack [13] targets the ancient Ghriba Synagogue [14] in Djerba, Tunisia. The attack came as Jews from throughout the Mediterranean world gathered at Ghriba [15]in the annual pilgrimage for the Lag B'Omer [16] festival. In Episode 173 [17] of the CounterVortex podcast [18], Bill Weinberg recalls how the Jews of Djerba have been repeatedly targeted [19] over the past generation, with this latest attack coming in the context of a reconsolidating dictatorship [20] in Tunisia and a harsh crackdown [21] on the opposition. Yet the Tunisian Jews continue to resist Zionist pressure [22] to emigrate to Israel, instead embracing their North African indigeneity. This embrace is overwhelmingly returned by the country's Arab and Muslim majority, in repudiation of extremists who would target Tunisian Jews to avenge Israeli crimes. Prominent Tunisians were among the Muslims who sheltered Jews [23] during the World War II Axis occupation [24] of North Africa. Listen on SoundCloud [17] or via Patreon [25].
Production by Chris Rywalt [27]
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