A mob allegedly set fire to trees in the courtyard of an abandoned synagogue Sunday in Tunisia in the city of Sfax, The Times of Israel reported.
While the synagogue’s windows were damaged, firefighters managed to put out the fire before it fully engulfed the synagogue, according to the outlet. Nobody was reported injured. (RELATED: Seven Jews Killed In Rocket Strike On Synagogue)
“Anti-Semitism in Tunisia[.] This morning an ancient synagogue burned down in Tunisia. I wrote dozens of posts and articles about the rising anti-Semitism in Tunisia which reached its peak less than a year ago when two Jews were killed in an attack by extremists. Israel through the Western countries must help Tunisian Jews,” Israeli researcher Edy Cohen tweeted alongside video and photos of the synagogue.
האנטישמיות בתוניסיה
היום בבוקר נשרף בית כנסת עתיק בתוניסיה .
כתבתי עשרות פוסטים ומאמרים על האנטישמיות הגואה בתוניסיה אשר הגיעה לשיאה לפני פחות משנה כאשר נהרגו שני יהודים בפיגוע של קיצונים.
ישראל באמצעות מדינות המערב חייבת לעזור ליהודי תוניסה. pic.twitter.com/8Nw1jkjtiw— אדי כהן Edy Cohen (@DREDYCOHEN) February 26, 2024
The video showed flames and smoke apparently billowing out of the synagogue. The synagogue’s walls appeared to be covered in soot, some of the place of worship’s windows were broken and the trees nearby were clearly scorched.
The city is not home to the less than 1,000 person Jewish community in the Arab state. At its height in 1948, the Jewish community numbered over 100,000, The Times of Israel reported.
A similar incident occurred in Tunisia back on Oct. 19 hours after discredited allegations circulated claiming Israel had bombed a hospital in Gaza. A mob of hundreds of people were caught on film appearing to torch a historic synagogue.
That synagogue contained the grave of a 16th century rabbi that was a pilgrimage site for Jews, The Jerusalem Post reported. This same site was damaged previously during the 2011 Arab Spring for reasons unrelated to Israel, The Times of Israel reported.
Back in May, two Jewish visitors to the Tunisian island of Djerba were killed after a national guardsman gunned them and three security officers down, according to the outlet.