Tunisia considers law to criminalize normalization with Israel

News Desk - The Cradle 

Tunisia's announcement comes as Israel's relations with its only allies in West Asia have worsened

Tunisia's parliament announced on 31 July that its Rights and Freedoms Committee is considering the implementation of a new law to criminalize normalization efforts with Israel.

The committee, lead by Halah Jaballah, a member of the Tunisian parliament, has begun studying the law's possible implementation.

The committee presented a preliminary reading of the new law detailing its “importance to the Tunisian people in accordance with the unconditional national support for the Palestinian cause,” paying close attention to the terminology used in the formulation of the law to reflect the Tunisian people's opinions and considerations.

This comes after the Tunisian foreign ministry officially denied a report from the Israeli media on 10 June that Tunisia was holding normalization talks with Israel.

In August 2022, the Tunisian Ministry of Commerce and Export Development reaffirmed its commitment to the provisions of the Arab boycott of Israel in accordance with the principles of the Arab League, in response to reports claiming that it engaged in trade with Israel.

Earlier this May, Tunisia's neighbor Algeria introduced legislation in the People's National Assembly which criminalizes any attempt at establishing relations with Israel, prohibits travel to Israel for any of its citizens, and criminalizes any contact with Israeli officials.

Also in May, the Iraqi parliament unanimously passed a bill outlawing any form of normalization or dealings with Israel.

At the same time, Arab states which previously normalized relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords have begun to reconsider their previous commitments. 

According to Bloomberg, the UAE and Bahrain have pointed to a “souring” of relations between the two countries and Israel.

“The [UAE] has expressed frustration in high-level contacts with Israel about the outcome of the 2020 Abraham Accords,” Bloomberg reported on 30 July. 

Bahrain has also “outlined its disappointment” with Tel Aviv, mainly out of concerns about Israel's ongoing human rights violations against Palestinians and it's unchecked expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The Bloomberg report also touched on the subject of Saudi Arabia, a country that the US aims to include in the Abraham Accords, describing Israel's already tense relations with the UAE and Bahrain as damaging to Washington's efforts regarding the kingdom.