Tunisians stage anti-Israel protest

Tunisians have held an anti-Israel protest in the capital to demand a ban on the normalization of ties with the Israeli regime.

The protesters marched on the National Constituent Assembly in Tunis on Sunday, setting fire to the Israeli flag and chanting anti-Israel slogans.

The demonstrators want the constitution to include a bill that criminalizes the normalization of relations with Tel Aviv.

Activists are concerned that the new draft constitution does not include the ban.

They say those parts have been eliminated by Tunisian lawmakers under pressure from foreign elements.

In previous protests, the demonstrators called for the maintenance of Article 27 of Tunisiaâ„¢s old constitution in the new charter. The Article reads, Å“All forms of normalization with Zionism and the Zionist entity is a crime punishable by law.”

Tunisia does not have formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Protesting Israelâ„¢s response to the Second Intifada, Tunis broke off ties with the Zionist regime in 2000.

In March, 2012, the leader of the ruling Islamic party Ennahda, Rached Ghannouchi ruled out normalizing ties with Israel.

Å“Tunisiansâ„¢ problem is with Zionism, not with Judaism,” Ghannouchi said.

DB/HSN