A 25-year-old Tunisian Jew, Rene Marzouk, accused of Zionist espionage, spreading Zionist propaganda, and belonging to an illegal group, is to appear Sept. 16 before a special Tunisian court dealing with acts against the State. It is the first time in Tunisia that a Jew has been officially accused of espionage and Zionist activities.
The 8000 Jews presently living there view this new attitude with concern, especially since Marzouk, far from being a Zionist, belongs to the “Marxist Circle,” one of the four underground opposition groups operating against the government.
Marzouk, an English teacher in a southern Tunisian high school, was arrested on Feb. 12 during a protest movement which erupted in the school following the arrest for subversive activities and the subsequent expulsion to France of Mrs. Simone Lellouch, a Jewish woman married to Ben Othman, an Arab. An anti-Zionist campaign was begun and supported by certain government ministers including Communications Minister Mohamed Sayah.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.