Tunisia after Hamas

Talk in Tunisia has returned to Mohamed Al-Zawari as the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announced the results of an investigation into his assassination. The Tunisian drone engineer was assassinated outside his house in Sfax, Tunisia, on 15 December 2016.

The Tunisian public were not surprised by these results as it has been clear since the assassination was committed that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, was the main beneficiary from such an act, after everyone learned he was a member of Hamas. Given his vast experience he took on the responsibility of providing the movement with unmanned aircraft.

What Tunisians are concerned with is the delay in announcing the results of the investigation and informing the public of the details of the crime, the identity of its perpetrator, and the planners. Informed sources confirm that the investigation efforts are ongoing and that significant progress has been made, but that it was not time to announce the results.

There is trust in the Tunisian government, which gains nothing from avoiding or stalling in this issue, which is related to national security. Although this issue is sensitive and dangerous and requires much precision and responsibility, there can be no procrastination or fallacy with regard to it. This is something understood by the officials in the Tunisian state, in every position.

Read more: Hamas: Inquiry confirms Israel’s Mossad assassinated drone engineer in Tunisia

The situation has changed. Information was monopolised and surrounded by almost absolute secrecy. Information could not be revealed or disclosed by anyone but the president, who had an iron grip on all of the security, judicial, and media agencies in order for nothing to be leaked from inside the temple without the permission of the leader.

However, today, access to news sources has become a constitutional and legal right. Dangerous information is easily accessed given the number of insiders willing to disclose information, even without being asked to. Based on this, it is unlikely that the Tunisian government would be involved in any unsafe slippery slope. This is confirmed by the fact that official bodies have not refused to provide assistance to the Palestinian parties conducting the investigation, without violating the principle of the independence of each side’s investigation.

Furthermore, the national unity government in Tunisia consists of several parties, including Ennahda, which is considered an extra guarantee ruling out the possibility of collusion in order to hide the details of the crime. Anyone thinking of committing such a sin would be at risk of being labelled as treacherous and exposed to political and moral exile. The blood of the martyr is entrusted to the Tunisian state, and Mossad’s actions are considered a direct attack on the country’s national sovereignty, a crime punishable by international law.

Some may wonder: can Tunisia bear the responsibility of directing accusations against Israel under such difficult and complex circumstances, resulting from the democratic transition process? When a nation is subject to a deliberate violation from any hostile party, it is their right, even duty, to reveal the identity of the attacker and condemn the attack forcefully and clearly. They must also urge the international community to support them and stand by their side in order to punish those who planned and committed the crime.

Read more: US official arrives in Tunisia as part of regional tour

President Bourguiba did this at the time of the attack on the Palestinian leadership’s headquarters in the town of Hammam Chott, as did Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali when Khalil Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad) was assassinated. What is stopping the bodies in Tunisia, elected after a revolution blessed by the world, from condemning, protesting, and legally and politically holding Israel responsible for its actions? What is stopping them from demanding that those responsible for the assassination be prosecuted and that the appropriate compensation be made? This is a new test to know how much revolutionary sentiment remains after much talk of the victory of the counter-revolution forces in Tunisia.

There has been much data confirming that the Palestinian cause still has a special place in the hearts of Tunisians. There are many state officials, starting with the president, in several state institutions, along with an effective public opinion, opposition and civil society, that all believe that when faced with an attack on national sovereignty they cannot resort to insignificant considerations and personal gains. As for the voices that are trying to dilute and cover up the crime, they must be silent when the country is being exposed to hostility, especially when the attacker is Israel, and the martyr is an honourable and loyal member of the Tunisian nation.

This article first appeared on Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on 21 November 2017

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.