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Content about North Africa

June 4, 2024
Netanyahu's new map flap: multiple political ironies
Bill Weinberg

Israel was forced to apologize to Morocco after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seen in a video displaying a map of the Middle East and North Africa—that failed to show the occupied (and illegally annexed) territory of Western Sahara as within the kingdom's borders. Netanyahu brandished the map in an interview with a French TV channel, showing what he called "the Arab world" in green, a swath of near-contiguous territory from Iraq to Mauritania—contrasting small, isolated Israel, "the one and only Jewish state." The goof was especially dire because in 2020 Israel joined the US as the only two countries on Earth to recognize Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara, in exchange for Moroccan recognition of the Jewish state under the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords. This was a cozy mutual betrayal of both the Palestinians and Sahrawi Arabs, the indigenous inhabitants of occupied Western Sahara.

Well, this is ironic multiple ways. Israel was forced to apologize to Morocco after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seen in a video displaying a map of the Middle East an North Africa—that failed to show the occupied (and illegally annexed) territory of Western Sahara as within the kingdom's borders. Netanyahu brandished the map in a May 30 

October 23, 2023
Synagogues attacked in Germany, Tunisia
Jurist

Unknown assailants targeted a Berlin synagogue with Molotov cocktails, while rioters in Tunisia burned down the country's historic El Hamma synagogue. There was no significant property damage at the Kahal Adass Jisroel synagogue in Berlin, but El Hamma in the Tunisian city of Gabes was effectively destroyed. Although El Hamma no longer functioned as a house of worship, it held major symbolic significance for Tunisian Jews, who are still shaken from a May shooting at the Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, the oldest in Africa. (Photo showing damage to Tomb of Rabbi Yousef al-Maarabi at El Hamma synagogue via RadioJ)

On Oct. 18, unknown assailants targeted a Berlin synagogue with Molotov cocktails, while rioters in Tunisia burned down the historic El Hamma synagogue.

August 8, 2023
Podcast: from the West Bank to Western Sahara
CounterVortex

In Episode 184 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg notes that Israeli President Isaac Herzog's address to Congress was happily boycotted by members of the "Squad," and comes as even establishment voices are calling for a cut-off of US aid in light of the deep political crisis in Israel. Unhappily, Rep. Pramila Jayapal was forced to issue an apology for having called Israel a "racist state"—which is a mere statement of political reality. In contrast, Ron DeSantis was not forced to issue any such apology for openly embracing Israel's illegal annexationist designs on the West Bank—even as they are protested by UN international law experts. All this comes as Israel has joined the US as the only countries on Earth to recognize Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara, a condition of the so-called Abraham Accords. Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.

In Episode 184 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg notes that Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress was happily bo

July 20, 2023
Abraham Accords' betrayal of Sahrawi consolidated
CounterVortex

Israel announced that it has formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The US in 2021 became the first nation to recognize Morocco's claim to the territory—an open quid pro quo for Moroccan recognition of Israel as a part of the so-called Abraham Accords. Israeli recognition of Morocco's claim was promised at that time. However, much of the territory is controlled by the Polisario Front, independence movement of the Sahrawi Arab people. Some 45 countries recognize Polisario's declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; the US and Israel are alone in recognizing Rabat's rule over the territory.

Israel announced July 17 that it has formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The US in 2021 became the first nation to recognize Morocco's claim to the territory—an open quid pro quo for Moroccan recognition of Israel as a part of the so-called 

May 13, 2023
MENA Jews: Zionism or indigeneity?
CounterVortex

Amid deadly Israeli air-raids on Gaza, a terror attack targets the ancient Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia. The attack came as Jews from throughout the Mediterranean world gathered at Ghriba in the annual pilgrimage for the Lag B’Omer festival. In Episode 173 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg recalls how the Jews of Djerba have been repeatedly targeted over the past generation, with this latest attack coming in the context of a reconsolidating dictatorship in Tunisia and a harsh crackdown on the opposition. Yet the Tunisian Jews continue to resist Zionist pressure to emigrate to Israel, instead embracing their North African indigeneity. This embrace is overwhelmingly returned by the country's Arab and Muslim majority, in repudiation of extremists who would target Tunisian Jews to avenge Israeli crimes. Prominent Tunisians were among the Muslims who sheltered Jews during the World War II Axis occupation of North Africa.

Amid deadly Israeli air-raids on Gaza, a 

December 11, 2020
'Abraham Accords' betray Palestinians... and now Sahrawis
New Jewish Resistance

President Donald Trump announced that Morocco and Israel have agreed to normalize relations, adding that the US will formally recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the occupied territory of Western Sahara. The blatant quid pro quo makes Morocco the third Arab state to join Trump's vaunted "Abraham Accords," which have already seen the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recognize Israel this year. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Morocco's King Mohammed VI for his "historic decision" to sign the deal, and pledged a "very warm peace" between the two countries. This would indeed be appropriate, as Israel and Morocco are both illegally occupying the territory of a colonized Arab people. Until Trump's proclamation, not one country on Earth has recognized Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara, which was seized after Spain withdrew from its colony of Spanish Sahara in 1975. Some 60 recognize the exile government that has been declared over the territory by the Polisario Front, the national liberation movement of the territory's Sahrawi Arab people. 

January 12, 2018
Tunisian Jews scapegoated in anti-austerity revolt?
New Jewish Resistance

A Jewish school on the Tunisian island of Djerba, home to one of North Africa's ancient Jewish communities, was attacked as anti-government protests raged around the country. Days earlier, synagogues in the Iranian city of Shiraz were similarly vandalized amid nationwide protests over austerity measures. Are indigenous Jews of the Middle East and North Africa being scapegoated amid the renewed protests over economic agony?

A Jewish school on the Tunisian island of Djerba, home to one of North Africa's ancient indigenous Jewish communities, was attacked Jan.

December 9, 2014
'War crimes' seen in attacks on Gaza landmarks
World War 4 Report

Air-strikes on landmark civilian buildings during Israel's Gaza campaign in August amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International charges in a new report.

Air-strikes on landmark buildings at the tail end of the Israeli military's "Operation Protective Edge" in Gaza in August were a deliberate and direct attack on civilian buildings and amount to war crimes, Amnesty International charges in a new report.

November 4, 2014
Tunisia boots jihadi 'godfather' Bernard Henry Levy
Bill Weinberg

French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy was expelled from Tunisia following mass demonsrations that accused him of coming to the country to plot with Libyan jihadists.

French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy was expelled from Tunisia Nov. 1—just 24 hours after his arrival in the country.

July 14, 2014
Diaspora Jews feel Gaza backlash —again
New Jewish Resistance

Two synagogues were attacked in Paris and the rabbi of the Casablanca Jewish community brutally beaten in reprisals for Israel's "Operation Protective Edge."

The Abravanel synagogue in central Paris is under police guard after more than 100 youths tried to storm the building July 13, chanting "Israel murderer!" The incident—near Bastille Place, on the eve of Bastille Day—followed a march protesting the Israeli air-strikes on Gaza.

April 22, 2012
North African Holocaust survivors denied restitution by Israel
New Jewish Resistance

Thousands of Holocaust survivors from North Africa remain unrecognized by the State of Israel and are ineligible for compensation. The Jewish Agency delayed their emigration to Israel until after 1953—the cut-off year for Holocaust restitution.

On April 18, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel's Public Committee for the Integration of Eastern Jews called attention to the fact that North African Jews who survived the Holocaust remain unrecognized by the State of Israel and are ineligible for compensation.

February 2, 2012
Tunisian Jews resist Zionist pressure to make aliyah
New Jewish Resistance

Three months after Tunisia's first post-revolutionary elections brought the  moderate-Islamist Ennahda party to power, the country's Jewish leaders say they have no intention of making aliyah—despite the urgings of Israel.

Three months after Tunisia's first post-revolutionary elections brought the  moderate-Islamist Ennahda party to power, the country's Jewish leaders told the BBC (in comments picked up by Israel's YNet Jan. 31) that they have no intention of making aliyah.

May 26, 2011
Obama risks Jewish support to tame Arabs
Bill Weinberg

The myopic Israeli leadership seem not to get that Obama's statement on the 1967 borders is part of his effort to domesticate the Arab Spring—which is in their own interests.