5 killed in shooting near Lag Ba'omer fest at ancient synagogue in Tunisia

Five people, visitors and security guards, plus the shooter were killed in a shooting near the ancient El Ghriba Synagogue (also known as the Djerba Synagogue,) in the city of Djerba in Tunisia on Tuesday. It is as of yet unclear if the visitors were worshipers taking part in a pilgrimage at the synagogue.

אירוע חריג בבית כנסת בג'רבה | גורמים ישראלים: ירי בוצע לעבר המאבטחים שהוצבו במקום, אין דיווח על נפגעים באירוע • במקום שהו מאות אנשים בהילולת רבי שמעון בר יוחאי@AmichaiStein1 @kaisos1987 pic.twitter.com/c89iPbiAQe

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In a DM with The Jerusalem Post, a community member named Aitan said that "there is great panic here. We are in lockdown in the synagogue and also in the guesthouse near the synagogue."

More than an hour after the attack began, Aitan tweeted that "the attack is not over. We hear [gun] shots. There are dead people. We are still besieged in the synagogue. Let's hope everything will be fine.  Please pray for us."

According to the Tunisian Interior Ministry, a guard at the naval center of the National Guard in Djerba killed a colleague of his and then headed for the El Ghriba synagogue and began firing indiscriminately at security guards at the synagogue who confronted him and killed him.

The Tunisian Interior Ministry confirmed that the synagogue is cordoned off and secured and that investigations are being carried out to find out the killer's motive.

US ambassador to Tunisia Joey Hood visited the synagogue on Monday along with the US envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism, Deborah Lipstadt, according to a post on Twitter from the US Embassy of Tunisia.

"In Tunisia, where Muslims, Jews and Christians have lived side by side for centuries, pilgrims from around the world gathered on the island of Djerba last night for the annual Lag Ba’omer celebration," the embassy post read. 

"Ambassador Joey Hood and visiting Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt joined senior Tunisian officials, the head of Djerba’s religious community, Perez Trabelsi and other dignitaries for the opening ceremony of the annual pilgrimage to the historic Ghriba Synagogue. This example of coexistence in Tunisia reinforces our shared commitment to multiculturalism and the protection of religious freedom."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry (MFA) announced on Wednesday morning that among those killed in the attack in Djerba were two Jewish cousins, one with Israeli citizenship and the other with foreign citizenship. "The MFA is in contact with the family members of the deceased and is prepared to assist additional Israelis as needed." 

The ancient Djerba Jewish community

According to La-Croix news site, thousands of Jews from around the world have flocked to the ancient El Ghriba Synagogue in Tunisia, the oldest in Africa, "for an annual five-day pilgrimage that begins 33 days after Passover," called Lag Ba'omer. According to the site, during the days of pilgrimage to El Ghriba Synagogue, "Jews light candles before entering a small cave where the stone of Solomon's Temple is supposed to be located. They then exchange dried fruits and sweets around a prayer."

The pilgrimage takes place annually in memory of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess, a tannaitic rabbi on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Iyar until the 18th of Iyar, in remembrance of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

About 1,500 Jews live in Djerba nowadays. This Jewish community used to have 100,000 members, most of which have left in the 1950's.