Tunisian Premier Reiterates His Pledge on Equal Rights for Jews

Tunisian Premier Habib Bcurguiba reiterated again today that his government will guarantee the equality of Tunisian Jews with their Moslem fellow citizens and expressed his understanding of the basic necessity of maintaining Jewish life in Tunisia under the leadership of Tunisian Jews.

M. Bourguiba made his statement to A.L. Easterman, political director of the World sewish Congress, who would up today a three-week tour of North Africa. Mr. Easterman also conferred with other Tunisian officials, the Council of Tunisian Jewish Communities and the Jewish community of this city.

During a lengthy conversation which covered a range of domestic and external questions affecting the status of the Jewish community in this country, Premier Bourguiba said he and his government hoped that Tunisian Jews would make a maximum contribution to the development and consolidation of this country. He noted that Jewish nationals of Tunisia had always received the fullest protection of the state which would not, under any circumstances, tolerate any form of discrimination against them.

In connection with this point, Mr. Easterman expressed the World Jewish Congress’ deep appreciation for M. Bourguiba’s public protest last fall against the Egyptian Government’s victimization of Tunisian Jews in Egypt together with other Jews residing in that country. Tunisia was the only Arab country to protest Nasser’s anti-Jewish measures against its Jewish nationals.

Before coming to Tunisia, Mr. Easterman stayed in Morocco for two weeks and conferred with Moroccan government leaders and officials of the Moroccan Jewish community on the future of Jewish emigration and various domestic problems relating to the status and the functions of the Jewish community. He has been invited back to Morocco in the near future to continue the conversations.