Summary:

On 2 November 2023, the Speaker of the Parliament, Ibrahim Bouderbala, announced to a session of parliament that President Kais Saied was not supportive of the proposed law that would criminalize Tunisians being in any contact with the state of Israel. 

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Consideration of the bill was postponed to Friday, 3 November 2023, but the Members of Parliament (MEPs) did not formally consider the bill on Friday as planned. 

Interest in criminalizing normalization with Israel has grown rapidly as Israel military activity continued in the Gaza Strip. The spike in violence between Israel and Hamas has prompted large-scale protests, uniting Tunisia’s disparate political voices around the Palestinian cause. 

However, some raised concerns – apparently shared by President Saied – that the normalization bill could harm Tunisia’s interests, particularly given its impact on Tunisians living and working overseas. 

Outlook:  

With Tunisia relatively limited in its ability to impact the conflict between Israel and Hamas directly, the concept of criminalizing normalization rapidly gained traction among Tunisian politicians as a tangible step that could show support of Palestinians. 

However, some Tunisians raised concerns about the impact on Tunisians residing abroad. Tunisian ex-patriates are responsible for the massive amount of remittances sent back to Tunisia which play a major supporting role in the local economy.  

The bill would also likely impose limits on Tunisia’s diplomatic and economic agility at a time when the country is desperate to develop partnerships that could lead to additional investment or aid. Additionally, investigation and enforcement of the proposed law could prove a significant challenge. 

Thus, while many Tunisians are united around the symbolism of the law, the practical application of the law in its current form could have significant and unintended negative consequences. 

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