The announcement of the Libya-Tunisia merger into the Arab Islamic Republic has come as a great shock to Jews in Tunisia. Jewish sources in Tunisia told the JTA here by telephone. The 8000 Jews in Tunisia who once felt “protected” by President Habib Bourguiba now appear completely “lost,” these sources said.
Many Jewish businessmen and technicians, they said, are considering leaving for France in the very near future. As for the very old Tunisian Jews attached to their way of life and the climate, it appears they may very likely be forced to emigrate eventually because of the extreme anti-Jewish sentiment of Libya’s leader. Muammar Qaddafi which they believe will be imposed on Tunisia.
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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.