Following the attack at a shul in Djerba, Tunisia on Lag B’Omer that killed two Jews, H’yd, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency have been monitoring a serious threat to the Jewish community in Djerba for months.

According to the report, a senior Israeli government official told Jewish leaders in a closed discussion two months ago that “in a small Jewish community in Tunisia, Jews are being picked on by the press and by local police, with a sense of antisemitism coming from the local government.”

“We’re working on monitoring the situation with the Jewish Agency and with the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, trying to create an impact and try to bring these Jews to Israel.”

Is there a secret plan for the mass aliyah of Tunisian Jews? The Post said that no officials agreed to comment but confirmed that the situation for Jews in Tunisia is delicate. Others said that there is a secret plan for aliyah but it’s not clear at this point whether Tunisian Jews are interested in making aliyah.

Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli (Likud) wrote on Twitter in response to reports of the attack that “about a month and a half ago, in view of the tensions in the country, we held an emergency discussion of the Diaspora Affairs and Aliyah and Integration ministries, with the Jewish Agency, in which we agreed on a joint action that would help the members of the community who wish to immigrate to Israel.”

Israeli diplomats told the Post on Wednesday that the fact that the shooting was carried out by a government employee [a Naval security guard] highlights the concern that the Jewish community is at risk in Tunisia.

“The Jewish community has been consistent with internal reports stating that the Tunisian police have been hostile towards the Jews in Tunisia,” the source said, adding that “we need to offer them an escape plan.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)