Organisations create 'anti-Zionism observatory'

A dozen associations and political parties have announced the creation of an "observatory to control Zionist infiltration into Tunisian universities".

The announcement was made at a meeting also attended by students, academics and members of civil society, according to La Presse of Tunis.

The paper reported Moncef Ouhichi, secretary-general of the Parti de l'Alliance populaire pour la Tunisie, as saying the 12 organisations firmly condemned all kinds of normalisation with Zionism, and especially academic normalisation which targeted students and young Tunisians in universities and education establishments.

Ahmed Kahlaoui, president of the Association de soutien a la resistance et de lutte contre le sionisme et la normalisation, warned against the danger of Zionist infiltration in Tunisian universities, said the paper.

He expressed indignation at the attitude of certain academics who, he said, defended Zionism and, he believed, "constitute a danger for the national security of the country".

Morched Driss, a member of the political bureau of the Mouvement du combat national, stressed that normalisation with Zionism had always existed but today it was increasingly evident, with the aim of securing a certain 'legitimacy', reported La Presse.

Driss said the Observatoire de controle de l'infiltration sioniste dans les universites et etablissements educatifs tunisiens would reveal the names of individuals who defended normalisation with Zionism, including professors, academics, film-makers and artists.

The other organisations involved in setting up the observatory were the Parti Athawabet (Constantes); the Ligue tunisienne pour la tolerance; the Centre d'etudes Massarat en philosophie et sciences humaines; the Forum Est-Ouest; the Mouvement Mourabitoun; the Association de la citoyennete et de defense des marginalizes; the Parti de l'action nationale democrate; the Mouvement des unionistes libres; and the Parti du front populaire unioniste.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.