Tunisians protest UN position on Israeli war against Gaza

Dozens of Tunisian citizens and supporters of a number of political parties and associations arranged a protest, on Tuesday, in front of the headquarters of the United Nations in Tunisia to denounce what they called the UN’s “biased position” and to condemn the “crimes” committed by Israel in its war against the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported.

The demonstrators raised many slogans, including: “Gaza Strip is a symbol of pride”, “Palestine is free and Zionists must leave”, “O shameful rulers who sold Gaza for dollars” and “With our soul and blood we redeem Palestine”.

The protest was attended by representatives of the following groups: the Islamic Renaissance Movement, Popular Front, Social Democratic Path, Unity for Tunisia, Democratic Women’s Association, and the National Solicitors Association.

The protesters also delivered a message to the Permanent Mission of the United Nations in Tunisia, demanding it to “take all necessary measures against Israel for the results caused by Israel’s crimes of genocide and massacres in the Gaza Strip”.

Palestine’s ambassador in Tunis, Salman Alhrva, said to Anadulo: “This protest demands an end to the aggression against the Palestinian people, taking war criminals to trial, lifting the siege of the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, putting an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and establishing a free Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

For his part, Junaidi Abdul Jawad of the Social Democratic Path told Anadulo that: “The message that was sent to the UN representative office in Tunisia involved demanding it to take urgent action to lift the siege of Gaza, as well as to impose sanctions on Israel, which has violated all international laws as well as human rights, while requesting the Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon to acknowledge his full responsibility for holding the Zionist entity accountable for the heinous crimes committed against the Palestinians.”

He added: “The statements of the UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon included collusion with Israel, as they give Israel the space to do its crimes in Gaza.”

Amer El-Areed, the leader in the Islamic Renaissance Movement, explained to Anadolu that: “Today’s demonstration is an event by Tunisian people that comes in protest against the biased position of the UN in favour of Israel in its war on Gaza.”

Israel’s relentless assault on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip started on 7 July and has resulted, as of Tuesday, in the killing of 1,867 Palestinians and the injury of 9,470 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.