The President of Tunisia on Wednesday afternoon called the Chief Rabbi of Djerba, Rabbi Haim Bitan, and apologized for his diatribe against the Jews, faulting them for the unrest in the country, Conference of European Rabbis President Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt said Wednesday.
President Kais Saied had met with residents of the low-income Al-Tadamon neighborhood (also known as Ettadhamen-Mnihla) of Greater Tunis recently, discussing the ongoing economic challenges facing the country which have sparked a renewed protest movement.
During the encounter, President Saied seemingly blamed Tunisia’s woes on “thieving Jews”.
Rabbi Goldschmidt had responded: "The Tunisian government is the guarantor for the security of the country's Jews."
"The president's remarks threaten the integrity and security of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world," Goldschmidt said.