J.D.B. News Letter

(By our Tunis correspondent)

Anti-Semitism in Tunis is a permanent factor in the life of the Jewish population in Tunis. It affects those Jews who have not long been naturalized as French citizens. As a result of a camaign conducted by patriotic Frenchmen, who were alarmed at seeting the Italians outnumber the French in Tunis, the Government, almost formed to action by Italian pretensions in Tunis, finally opened a road to Jews to become naturalized French citizens, and, after two years’ waiting, several thousand were in this way naturalized. Pupils in the French schools, assinilated to French culture, were eager to profit by this opportunity to escape from their personal status as Jews, and from the Tunisian legal jurisdiction, which is entirely Moslem and consequently very archaic and for the most part hostile to the Jews.

Not long ago the Government proposed to grant land for colonization to Frenchmen intending to engage in agriculture in Tunis. Some French Jews applied, but their applications were rejected. They were told that these lands could not be given to Frenchmen “of Tunisian origin.” It was intimated, although in an indirect manner, that a Jew, even if he was a French citizen, could not be considered the equal of any other Frenchman.

The Socialist and Radical-Socialist parties of Tunis and various Masonic lodges took up the matter and organized a mass demonstration at which the speakers vigorously condemned the anti-Semitic attitude of the authorities as being contrary to French interests in Tunis, for all those Jews who have not yet applied for French naturalization–about 80,000 in number–would now, avoid risking similar humiliation and thus the French policy of obtaining a majority of French citizens in Tunis would be defeated. The question is certain to come up soon in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate. It is being asked whether the French people will tolerate such a policy towards the Jews, who in 1914 volunteered in large numbers in the defence of France and died on the battlefields.

Anti-Semitism is widely felt in the schools. Jewish students in the French high schools were hitherto allowed to stay away on Saturdays and other Jewish holidays. Before Yom Kippur, in order to attract the attention of those Jewish pupils who were somewhat lax in their religious observances, the Grand Rabbi succeeded in having an official announcement made in the schools that Jewish students could stay away that day. But this year a new Headmaster was appointed, and he declared that he would not give any leave to students for religious reasons. Several students who nevertheless stayed away were expelled. The newspapers have complained against this action and the leaders of the Jewish community are intervening with the authorities.

Sports too have failed to escape the taint of anti-Semitism. The “Union Sportive Tunisienne” is a Jewish football organization which has been the sensation of the year, because of its victories against all the French, Italian and Maltese teams it has played. This aroused the jealousy and hatred of the defeated sides, and added to their feelings of anti-Semitism. After winning. a match at Bizerta the Jewish team was met with cries of “Down with the Jews!” and were attacked with stones, knives and pistols, several being wounded. The police made no attempt to arrest the aggressors.

Incidents of this kind have followed every victory scored by the Jewish team here. The frankly anti-Semitic referees pretended not to notice the faults of the non-Jewish teams, and harassed the Jewish players in every possible way, even going so far as to declare null several of their fairly won goals.

Sometimes the opposing teams threw themselves upon the Jewish players with clenched fists, and “reconciliation matches” had to be arranged afterwards to calm the hot-heads. But the Jewish team kept on winning steadily. One of the referees said that he would disqualify it and prevent it from gaining victories. This referee finally so outraged the feelings of the crowd that they howled him off. In the excitement five shots were fired in the air, causing a panic. Women and children were trampled in the rush; about 5,000 spectators swept towards the exits; one was stabbed in the side with a knife and taken to the hospital.

As a result of this incident, the Government issued a decree prohibiting football throughout Tunis. Then some groups of French students marched through the city shouting “Down with the Jews!” and maltreated Jewish passers-by. The Government then doubled the police force in the Jewish quarters and announced in the press that disturbers of public order would be dealt with severely.

The Jewish papers are talking of a self-defence should the Government fail to protect the lives and property of the Jewish population. The position is extremely grave.