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Extremists Oppose Equal Rights for Jews in Tunisia

August 9, 1955
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Although the Bey of Tunis has displayed friendship for the Jews on more than one occasion, and despite the fact that leaders of the nationalist Neo-Destour Party have given assurances that the Jews will enjoy equal rights in an independent Tunisia, Moslem leaders here, led by Sheikh Mohammed Djait, expressed complete opposition today to permitting non-Moslems to take any part in the government or administration when the country becomes autonomous.

This stand by the extremists was received with a good deal of apprehension by the Neo-Destour leaders who have prepared a draft of a constitution for Tunisia in which equal citizenship rights are provided for Jews and other non-Moslem elements of the populations. Jewish leaders are concerned over the campaign started by Sheikh Djait to annual the promises made by the nationalist party to non-Moslems.

Meanwhile, it was reported today that Neo-Destour leaders are ready to enter into some kind of “limited relationship” with the Arab states, especially with Egypt. The report says that assurances to this effect have been given by the Tunisian nationalist leaders to an Egyptian mission which recently spent several weeks in Tunisia.

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