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Israel-Tunisia normalization ‘not on the agenda,’ Tunisian PM says

Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said that he respects Morocco's choice to recognize the Jewish state but that Tunisia is not considering doing the same.

Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi gives a press conference on November 3, 2020 in Tunis, after his meeting with several economic experts. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP) (Photo by FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)
Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi gives a press conference on Nov. 3, 2020, in Tunis, after his meeting with several economic experts. — FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images

Tunisia has no plans to follow Morocco’s lead and normalize relations with Israel, Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said Monday. 

Morocco last week became the fourth Arab country to recognize Israel in recent months, a diplomatic breakthrough for the Trump administration on the heels of US-brokered deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

“For Tunisia, the question is not on the agenda,” Mechichi said in an interview with France 24 Monday. 

“We respect Morocco’s choice, Morocco is a sister country that we love very much,” Mechichi said. “Every country has its own reality, its own truth and its own diplomacy, which it considers best for its people.”

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