GAZA: TUNISIAN REACTIONS INTENSIFYING

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000002 FOR NEA/FO, NEA/IPA AND NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2019 TAGS: PREL KPAL TS SUBJECT: GAZA: TUNISIAN REACTIONS INTENSIFYING REF: A. 08 TUNIS 1256 ¶B. FELTMAN-NEA COMS EMAIL OF 01/01/2009 Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Tunisian reaction against the continued Israeli air strikes in Gaza is becoming stronger. In separate statements, Ben Ali called for an immediate end to the aggression against the Palestinian people in his New Year's speech, and the Chamber of Advisors condemned the raids as "crimes against humanity." The GOT is also providing the public some outlets to vent frustration, although it is taking steps to keep their reaction in check. The GOT is sponsoring a national blood drive for Palestinians and it opened a special postal service account where individuals can make donations. A demonstration sponsored by the ruling party on January 1 brought out over 1,000 protesters but was tightly controlled by security services. The Tunisian media's emotional coverage of the situation continues, with one French-language magazine putting the title "Shoah in Gaza" on the cover. The Ambassador spoke with MFA Chief of Staff Khemiri January 2 to review US strategy on the Gaza situation. End Summary. -------------- GOT Publicly Condemns the Israeli Raids Provides Outlets for Public Reactions -------------- ¶2. (C) The Tunisian leadership's response to the violence in Gaza has been two pronged: First, it has been seeking to show solidarity with the Palestinian people without glorifying Hamas. Second, while allowing some outlets for the Tunisian population to vent its anger, it has taken deliberate steps to keep those sentiments in check. President Ben Ali used a December 31, 2008 speech to condemn the Israeli air strikes, saying, "The fierce and savage aggression taking place these days against besieged Gaza, hitting innocent civilians in their homes, killing hundreds of people and injuring thousands, and leaving a large-scale devastation, calls on the human conscience to act decisively in order to put an immediate end to this aggression, and to provide the necessary international protection to the brotherly Palestinian people and lift the siege imposed on it." In a January 30 resolution, the Tunisian Chamber of Advisors used much harsher language, denouncing the Israeli military attacks and describing them as "crimes against humanity." Meanwhile, Ben Ali announced a national blood drive for Palestinians and the creation of a special postal service account where individuals can make donations in support of the people of Gaza. -------------- A Nice Day for a March -------------- ¶3. (SBU) After several smaller demonstrations occurred earlier in the week in and outside the capital (Ref A),the ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party organized a large-scale demonstration January 1 in downtown Tunis. Participants included the loyal opposition political parties, the national labor union (UGTT),the Tunisian League for Human Rights, the national employer's union (UTICA),the Association of Tunisian Democratic Women, the Tunisian journalists' union, and the Tunisian chapter of Amnesty International. According to one opposition party activist who declined to participate, some would-be marchers from the labor federation were prevented from participating in the march; police reportedly told them that they had arrived "too late." ¶4. (SBU) Even so, over 1,000 people (media sources put said "several thousand;" we estimated closer to 1,000) gathered on New Year's Day, a public holiday, at Place 7 November to march down Mohammed V street in the center of Tunis and show their support for the people of Gaza. The demonstrators were well organized and marched in groups, according to political party or NGO affiliation. They were corralled by a heavy security presence, including riot police marching in double columns alongside the demonstrators. Security forces blocked Avenue Habib Bourguiba and all connected side streets and did not allow passive observers. PolOff, who was trying to watch the demonstration from the sidelines was told twice that she either had to be inside the police lines with the demonstrators or move on. ¶5. (SBU) The mood was charged but orderly. The banners and chants were overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian, rather than anti-Israeli. Their message was that the Tunisian people support the Palestinians and call for Arab unity. Poloff heard some protesters chanting the rather benign "How's it going, Palestine?" and heard only one group mention the United States. That same group carried a couple of old posters featuring Saddam Hussein's portrait, as well as a small picture of Nassrallah. This group chanted slogans against the situation in Gaza, as well as in Iraq. Anti-Israeli feelings were expressed by banners that said Gaza is a "disaster" or "Holocaust;" two posters featured pictures of Ehud Barak with the words "War Criminal" written under them; and at least one chant said, "Strike, strike Tel Aviv." -------------- Media Likens Situation to Holocaust Situation Resonates with the Public -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Israeli air strikes in Gaza continue to dominate the local press; media coverage remains highly charged. Upping the ante on the already sensational coverage cited Ref A, the cover of the January 2 edition of weekly magazine L'Expression features the headline "Shoah in Gaza" atop a full-page photo of a young boy in the foreground positioning himself to throw a rock with his left hand, while with his right hand he makes the peace sign. The boy is standing just meters in front of an apparent explosion, with billowing smoke and fire. Meanwhile, French daily Le Temps on January 1 ran a lengthy interview with former Tunisian Ambassador and long-time Embassy contact Ahmed Ounaies. He charges Israel with using "sinister methods of crushing, humiliation, and extermination." Asked about the response of Arab states, Ounaies opined that Israel had calculated, rightly, that Arabic countries would not rush to the assistance of an Islamist movement that claims democratic legitimacy. On the other hand, he continued, "one should not underestimate the (people's) sense of liberty and justice, their faith in solidarity and attachment to dignity." ¶7. (C) Embassy contacts have raised the situation with us at all levels. The plight of the people of Gaza clearly resonates with the Tunisian population. One labor union official warned PolOff that by turning a blind eye to Israeli carnage, the United States is effectively forcing moderates in the region to support Hamas. Meanwhile, several Tunisians have circulated email "greeting" cards that juxtapose an ironic "Happy New Year" message with a candle-lit memorial to Gaza and a picture of a wounded child. -------------- Conveying US Policy -------------- ¶8. (C) The Ambassador spoke with MFA Chief of Staff Mahmoud Khemiri on January 2 to review US strategy ahead of next week's UN Security Council's meeting, per Acting NEA A/S Feltman's e-mail (Ref B). Khemiri noted he would convey the points to Foreign Minister Abdallah but added that the Minister would not be attending the New York meeting. Ben Ali referred to the initiative to hold an Arab League Summit in his December 31 speech, noting that such a summit "should go beyond mere decisions of condemnation and denunciation, and take a firm position that can effectively help put an end to the Palestinian bloodshed and open the way once again for reaching the hoped-for peaceful solution." -------------- Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) The demonstration offered a rare opportunity for local civil society organizations to show their presence. At the end of the day, however, the march amounted to little more than a well-controlled pressure valve to allow civil society to vent frustration. The machinations leading up to the march were as interesting as the march itself. Opposition parties had initially proposed to the ruling party that they hold a joint demonstration to show that, despite political differences, the Tunisian population is united in its opposition to the air raids. In the end, the event was co-opted by the RCD, which orchestrated the march, while the security services kept things tightly controlled. The opposition Popular Democratic Party (PDP) ended up opting out, for fear that the demonstration would be dominated by the RCD and turned into a propaganda tool for Ben Ali. Sure enough, some protesters were heard chanting, "Ben Ali! Ben Ali!" The prospect for more, and stronger, unauthorized demonstrations may increase next week when students return to the universities and schools. The labor federation may also sponsor further events. End Comment. Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm Godec