Ghriba Pilgrimage in Tunisia Sees Return of Worshippers After Years of Restrictions
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The annual pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue on Djerba, Tunisia, is drawing more worshippers this year after two years of security-related restrictions. Organizers estimate about 200 foreign attendees, with authorities deploying enhanced security measures to rebuild confidence following a 2023 attack.
The annual pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue, one of the oldest Jewish gatherings in Africa, is witnessing increased attendance this year after years of restrictions following a deadly attack.
Authorities had limited the number of participants after a fatal assault at the site in 2023.
The event on Djerba island traditionally attracts thousands of Jewish worshippers from around the world, especially from Europe and the United States.
After two years of scaled-back ceremonies due to security concerns, the government this year allowed organized groups to attend while implementing heightened security measures.
“This year, the number of worshippers returning to the island has risen significantly. We estimate about 200 from abroad,” said Rene Trabelsi, former Tunisian tourism minister and one of the event organizers, in an interview with AFP.
“Confidence is gradually returning to this pilgrimage,” he added, thanking the Tunisian state for “establishing special security measures.”
In 2023, some 7,000 people took part in the pilgrimage. However, on the final day, May 9, a National Guard officer named Wissam Khazri killed a colleague, took ammunition, and drove to the synagogue, where he opened fire on worshippers and security forces.
Khazri’s attack left six dead, including two worshippers and three officers, with nine wounded, before the assailant was killed by security forces.
The trial for the attack concluded in February, sentencing identified accomplices to prison terms ranging from one to 15 years. Both defense and civil party lawyers criticized the investigation as incomplete, and Tunisian authorities never labeled the attack as anti-Semitic.
In May 2024, the rituals were reduced to prayers and candle-lighting, with no procession. Last year, the observances were kept to a minimum, with only about 50 worshippers attending. A week earlier, a Jewish jeweler was assaulted at his shop by a man carrying a butcher’s knife.
The Ghriba synagogue was also targeted in a 2002 suicide truck bombing that killed 21 people.
Ghriba, the oldest synagogue in Africa, dates back to the 6th century BCE and is considered a symbol of Tunisia’s diversity.
About 1,500 Jews currently live in this North African country, mainly on Djerba island, down from around 100,000 before Tunisia’s independence in 1956, when many emigrated to Israel and France.
