TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT DENIES GIVING INTERVIEWS TO ISRAELI MEDIA

Tunis, 13 Rajab 1435/12 May 2014 (MINA) – The spokesperson for the interim Tunisian government, Abdel-Salam Al-Zobeidi, has denied that Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa gave any statements or interviews to the Israeli media, Al-Amatonline.net news website reported.

In response to the allegations that Jomaa had made statements to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, a Tunisian official quoted Al-Zobeidi as saying that the interim prime minister did not give any interviews to either Tunisian or foreign media about the normalisation of relations between Tunisia and Israel.

The debate over normalising relations with Israel has returned with force to the Tunisian political arena. Over the weekend the Constituent Assembly rescinded a motion against two high-level officials for allowing Israeli tourists into the country, according to Middle East Monitor (MEMO) report quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

After a lively debate, a no-confidence motion against Tourism Minister Amel Karboul and Deputy Interior Minister for Security Ridha Sfar was dropped from the agenda of the general session of the Constituent Assembly and the suggestion was offered instead to issue a statement asserting the assembly’s opposition to normalisation of ties with Israel.

During a session in which Karboul was questioned, the minister denied news reports that she had received an Israeli delegation at the Halq Al-Wadi Port. She also stressed that she respects all religions.(T/P02/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)