Israel–Tunisia relations

Israel–Tunisia relations refers to current and historical relationship between Israel and Tunisia. Relations are generally tense and the states do not have formal diplomatic relations.

History

First signs of warming of the relations began in the mid 1990s: in 1994, channels of communication were opened with Israel through the Belgian embassies in Tel Aviv and Tunis. Tunisian Foreign Minister Habib Bin Yahya and then-Israeli Foreign Minister Ehud Barak met in Barcelona in 1995 to expand official relations between the two countries after relations had been confined to "two communications channels" in the Belgian embassies in each of Tunis and Tel Aviv.^[1] On Jan. 22, 1996, then US Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced "that for the first time Israel and Tunisia will establish official facilities called "interests sections" in each other's countries. By April 15 of this year, each nation will host representatives of the other government so as to facilitate political consultations, travel, and trade between their two countries". According to plan, Israel opened an interest office in Tunisia in April and six weeks later, in May, Tunisian diplomat Khemaies Aljihinaoui went to Israel to open his country's interest office in Tel Aviv.

Deteoriation

The relations worsened in the early 2000s when the second Intifada began. On Oct. 22, 2000. The state radio of Tunisia declared that President Ben Ali had decided to break all diplomatic ties with Israel following the "violence in the Palestinian-controlled territories".^[2] On Oct. 21, Ben Ali had issued a strong condemnation of "the violation of the holy shrine of Al Quds Al Sharif, the repeated Israeli provocations, the use of weapons against innocent children and defenseless people, and the racist persecution of Arab Palestinian citizens", which "constitute flagrant violations of sanctities and human rights, and a blatant aggression against all human values and practices". On Oct. 22 itself Israel expressed its disappointment at the Tunisian decision to sever relations and to close the Tunisian Interest Office in Tel Aviv and the Israeli Interest Office in Tunis. Expressing "surprise",

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