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Tunisia renames hall named after scientist assassinated by Israel

May 27, 2022 at 12:57 pm

People carry a massive Palestinian flag during a demonstration marking the ‘Palestinian Land Day’ at the Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, Tunisia on 31 March, 2018. [Yassine Gaidi /Anadolu Agency]

The municipal council of Gremda city in the Sfax governorate, south of Tunisia, has renamed the city’s sports hall which previously held the name of engineer Mohamed Al-Zawari who was assassinated by Israel in 2016.

The municipal council did not give reasons for the change.

Local activist Helmy Sha’ari said the proposal to rename the gym was submitted by the head of the Finance Committee, Nader Sahnoun, noting that seven council members voted in favour of the change.

The activist said the decision has failed Palestine and pleased only Israel.

“The people of Gremda elected you to improve their living conditions and not to attack a symbol of the resistance. When you submitted your resignation from the council, I begged many of you to continue working for the interests of the region, but today and for the sake of beloved Palestine, I wish the election commission had accepted your resignations before you voted for this scandalous decision,” he said, adding the decision and those who took, it do not represent the people of Gremda.

Civil society associations and pro-Palestine groups, as well as legal and judicial bodies, are looking into the possibility of filing a case before the administrative court to reverse this decision.

The municipal council’s decision comes amid controversy among Tunisians about the decline in the status of Palestine among influential political leaders as well as reports that Israeli tourists had arrived in Tunisia directly from Tel Aviv, to participate in the Ghriba pilgrimage on the island of Djerba between 14-22 May.

READ: Tunisia Minister rejects accusations of normalising relations with Israel