An annual Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia's Djerba synagogue and celebration has been cancelled due to the war in Gaza, the head of the organising committee, Perez Trabelsi, told Reuters on Friday.
Jewish worshippers arrive at the Ghriba synagogue, during an annual pilgrimage in Djerba, Tunisia May 18, 2022. Reuters/Jihed Abidellaoui
An annual Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia's Djerba synagogue and celebration has been cancelled due to the war in Gaza, the head of the organising committee, Perez Trabelsi, told Reuters on Friday.
Trabelsi added that the committee has reduced the annual pilgrimage to limited rituals only inside the temple, and expects a very small number to arrive from France due to the tense situation in the Middle East.
"How do we celebrate when people die every day?," he said.
The southern island of Djerba – a holiday destination – is home to Africa’s oldest synagogue and the annual pilgrimage, attract thousands of Jews annually who come from Israel and several European countries.
Mainly Muslim Tunisia is home to one of North Africa’s largest Jewish communities. Although they now number fewer than 1,800 people, Jews have lived in Tunisia since Roman times.
This year's Jewish pilgrimage is scheduled to take place at the end of May
Reporting by Tarek Amara
Germany pledged a further 20 million euros ($23.6 million) to Sudan this year, the development ministry said on Wednesday, ahead of an international aid conference hosted in Berlin that is aiming to gather more than $1 billion in funding commitments.
Two arms brokers arranged illegal deals to supply ex-Soviet surface-to-air missile systems to South Sudan and fighter jets to Libya during its civil war, British prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday.
Pope Leo paid homage to his spiritual roots on Tuesday, travelling to the ancient birthplace in Algeria of St. Augustine of Hippo, who inspired him to become a priest.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.