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{{Infobox bilateral relations|Israeli-Tunisian|Israel | Tunisia}}
{{Infobox bilateral relations|Israeli-Tunisian|Israel | Tunisia}}
'''Israel–Tunisia relations''' refers to [[bilateral relations]] between [[Israel]] and [[Tunisia]]. There are no official diplomatic relations between the two states.
'''Israel–Tunisia relations''' refers to [[bilateral relations]] between [[Israel]] and [[Tunisia]]. There are no official diplomatic relations between the two states.

==Country comparison==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! {{flagicon|Tunisia}} '''[[Tunisia]]'''
! {{flagicon|Israel}} '''[[Israel]]'''
|-
| '''Populations'''
| 11,982,754
| 8,238,300
|-
| '''Area'''
| 163,610&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (63,170 sq mi)
| 20,770/22,072&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (8,019/8,522 sq mi)
|-
| '''Population density'''
| 63/km<sup>2</sup> (163/sq mi)
| 365/km<sup>2</sup> (945/sq mi)
|-
| '''Capital'''
| [[Tunis]]
|[[Jerusalem]] <br />([[Status of Jerusalem|limited recognition]])<!-- DO NOT put this into a note, "(limited recognition)" is the parenthetical comment used per last RfC (see RfC link in the talk page's FAQ) -->{{efn|Recognition by other UN member states: [[Russia]] ([[West Jerusalem]]),<ref>{{cite web |title=Foreign Ministry statement regarding Palestinian-Israeli settlement |url=http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2717182 |website=www.mid.ru |date=6 April 2017}}</ref> the [[Czech Republic]] ([[West Jerusalem]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Czech-Republic-announces-it-recognizes-West-Jerusalem-as-Israels-capital-517241|title=Czech Republic announces it recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel's capital|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=6 December 2017|access-date=6 December 2017|quote="The Czech Republic currently, before the peace between Israel and Palestine is signed, recognizes Jerusalem to be in fact the capital of Israel in the borders of the demarcation line from 1967." The Ministry also said that it would only consider relocating its embassy based on "results of negotiations."}}</ref> [[Honduras]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Honduras recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/honduras-recognizes-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/ |work=The Times of Israel |date=29 August 2019}}</ref> [[Guatemala]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infobae.com/america/mundo/2017/12/24/guatemala-se-suma-a-eeuu-y-tambien-trasladara-su-embajada-en-israel-a-jerusalen/|title=Guatemala se suma a EEUU y también trasladará su embajada en Israel a Jerusalén|trans-title=Guatemala joins US, will also move embassy to Jerusalem|website=Infobae|date=24 December 2017|language=es}} Guatemala's embassy was located in Jerusalem until the 1980s, when it was moved to Tel Aviv.</ref> [[Nauru]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Nauru recognizes J'lem as capital of Israel |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/268084 |work=Israel National News |date=29 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital.html|title=Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital and Orders U.S. Embassy to Move|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=6 December 2017|access-date=6 December 2017}}</ref>}}{{efn|Jerusalem is Israel's largest city if including [[East Jerusalem]], which is widely recognized as occupied territory.<ref>{{citation|title=The Legal Status of East Jerusalem|publisher=[[Norwegian Refugee Council]]|date=December 2013|url=https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/reports/the-legal-status-of-east-jerusalem.pdf|pages=8, 29}}</ref>}}
|-
| '''Largest city'''
| [[Tunis]]
|[[Tel Aviv]]
|-
| '''Government'''
| [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[parliamentary]] [[republic]]
| [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[parliamentary]] [[republic]]
|-
|'''First Leader'''
| [[Habib Bourguiba]]
| [[David Ben-Gurion]]
|-
| '''Current Leader'''
| [[Kais Saied]]
| [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]
|-
| '''Official languages'''
| [[Arabic]]
| [[Hebrew]], [[Arabic]]
|-
| '''Main religions'''
| 99% [[Islam]], 1% [[Christianity]] and [[Judaism]]<ref name="Pew">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/#identity|title=Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation|date=August 9, 2012|work=The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]'s Religion & Public Life Project|access-date=4 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="Pew Research Center">The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 {{Cite web|url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/tunisia#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016|title= Religion In Tunisia|language=en-US}} Data can be also accessed using {{Cite web|url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/tunisia#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016|title=The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref>
| 75.4% [[Judaism]], 16.9% [[Islam]], 2.0% [[Christianity]], 1.6% [[Druzism]]
|-
| '''GDP (nominal)'''
| US$49.126 billion (US$4,506 [[per capita]])
| US$415.707 billion (US$44,524 [[per capita]])
|-
| '''GDP (PPP)'''
| US$129.140 billion (US$11,623 [[per capita]])
| US$286.840 billion (US$35,658 [[per capita]])
|-
| '''Military expenditures'''
| US$0.548 billion (1.3% of GDP)
| US$17.5 billion (5.3% of GDP)
|}

{{notelist}}


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 21:25, 19 August 2023

Israeli-Tunisian relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Tunisia

Israel
Tunisia

Israel–Tunisia relations refers to bilateral relations between Israel and Tunisia. There are no official diplomatic relations between the two states.

History

The earliest contacts between Israel and Tunisia took place at the United Nations in New York in 1951–1952, when Tunisian representatives approached the Israeli delegation and Israeli labor leaders. In June 1952, Bahi Ladgham, a close confidant of Habib Bourguiba, met with Gideon Rafael seeking support for Tunisian independence. Bourguiba stated that he would not seek Israel's elimination and would work to promote peace in the region.[1] In 1956, after Tunisia declared independence, he met secretly with Ya'akov Tzur, Israel's ambassador to France. Later that year, Tsur met with the Tunisian finance minister, who sought Israel's assistance in building cooperative agricultural settlements.[1]

Operation Wooden Leg was an attack by Israel on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) headquarters in Hammam al-Shatt, Tunisia, 12 miles from the capital of Tunis. It took place on October 1, 1985. Casualties 47-71 dead, around 15 of them were Tunisian civilians who were killed and about 100 wounded.[citation needed]

Tunisia claims it played a major role in secret talks between the PLO and Israel which led to the Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule, signed in September 1993. Soon after, an Israeli delegation visited Tunisia for talks. Salah Masawi, director general of the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that he saw no obstacle to establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. In 1993, Yossi Beilin, then Israel's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited Tunisia. Direct telephone links were established in July 1993. After the Tunisia offices of the PLO were closed in June 1994, the first Israeli tourists arrived.[2]

In 1994, channels of communication were opened with Israel through the Belgian embassies in Tel Aviv and Tunis.[3] Tunisian Foreign Minister Habib Ben Yahia and then-Israeli Foreign Minister Ehud Barak met in Barcelona in 1995 to expand official relations between the two countries after relations had been confined to "two communications channels" in the Belgian embassies in each of Tunis and Tel Aviv.[4] On Jan. 22, 1996, then US Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced "that for the first time Israel and Tunisia will establish official facilities called "interests sections" in each other's countries. By April 15 of this year, each nation will host representatives of the other government so as to facilitate political consultations, travel, and trade between their two countries". According to plan, Israel opened an interest office in Tunisia in April and six weeks later, in May, Tunisian diplomat Khemaies Jhinaoui went to Israel to open his country's interest office in Tel Aviv.[5]

Jerusalem Boys Choir visiting Djerba, 2007

Relations worsened in the early 2000s after the start of the Second Intifada. On October 22, 2000, President Ben Ali announced that he would break all diplomatic ties with Israel following the "violence in the Palestinian-controlled territories".[6] Israel expressed its disappointment at the Tunisian decision to sever relations and close the interest offices in Tel Aviv and Tunis. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said: "It appears that Tunisia has elected to renounce its potential role as a bridge for dialogue between Israel and its neighbours, thereby harming the critical effort to promote regional peace."[7]

In June 2021, both Israel and Tunisia were among 30 countries which participated in the Sea Breeze 2021, multinational naval maneuvers in the Black Sea.[8]

Sporting events

In 2020, Tunisian President Kais Saied called for an investigation, following the participation of Israeli tennis player, Aaron Cohen, in the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors in Tunisia, where he also played against Tunisian player, Karim Chedly.[9] However, there were previously other encounters between Israeli and Tunisian tennis players, such as the match between Malek Jaziri and Dudi Sela in 2016.[10]

Later on, the national women's tennis teams met at the 2020 Fed Cup in Helsinki.[11] Moreover, Tunisian Aziz Dougaz competed against Israeli Dudi Sela at the 2020 Morelos Open.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Israel and the Maghreb at the height of the Arab-Israeli conflict: 1950s-1970s, Michael Laskier" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  2. ^ The Middle East and North Africa 2003. Psychology Press. ISBN 9781857431322 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Tunisia Adds Its Name to the List of Those Initiating Ties with Israel". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  4. ^ Europe and Tunisia: Democratization via Association, Brieg Powel
  5. ^ Family in the Middle East: Ideational Change in Egypt, Iran, and Tunisia
  6. ^ Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics
  7. ^ Tunisia: Stability and Reform in the Modern Maghreb
  8. ^ "Sea Breeze: Ukraine, US Black Sea drills raise tensions with Russia". DW. 29 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Tunisia calls for probe into Israel participation in tennis competition". Middle East Monitor. January 31, 2020.
  10. ^ "Political boycott over, Tunisia's Malek Jaziri plays Israel's Dudi Sela". Tennis.com.
  11. ^ "La Tunisie bat Israël au Fed Cup 2020 : Le ministère des Affaires étrangères dénonce "la normalisation avec l'entité sioniste"". Kapitalis (in French). 5 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Tunisia-Aziz Dougaz to face Israeli player Dudi Sela at Morelos Open". tunisienumerique.com. 19 February 2020.
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