In latest antisemitic controversy, President Kais Saied says Zionist movement ‘has penetrated to attack the mind and thinking,’ also ascribes name of Abraham Accords to same reason.
Tunisian President Kais Saied made antisemitic remarks Monday evening, claiming that a secret “Zionist” influence was evident in the name given to Storm Daniel, the deadly storm that wreaked havoc earlier this month in Libya, Greece and elsewhere.
Storm Daniel, the deadliest Mediterranean storm ever recorded, killed over 3,000 people in Libya floods, with over 10,000 others still missing.
“Did they not wonder about the naming? Daniel is a Hebrew prophet,” Saied said in video remarks from his office carried by local media.
“The Zionist movement has penetrated to attack the mind and thinking, from Daniel to Abraham.”
Mr Saied explained that he does not think that the choice of a Hebrew prophet name for a storm is arbitrary, also making a reference to the Abraham Accords, which established relations between Israel and some Arab countries.
الرئيس التونسي " اطلاق اسم دانيال على الاعصار الأخير الذي ضرب ليبيا وأودى بألاف الضحايا دليل على تغلغل الحركة الصهيونية العالمية".. pic.twitter.com/Qk4XSSX3nn
— Diplomatique.ma الدبلوماسية (@diplomatique_ma) September 20, 2023
While the name Daniel has a Hebrew origin, it is a popular name for non-Jews in many countries where they are a minority, including Russia, Ireland and the US, where Jewish people make up almost three per cent of the population.
Storm Daniel was named by Greece’s Hellenic National Meteorological Service following a list of alphabetically arranged names, which is part of an efficient naming system that meteorologists have been using to identify storms for decades.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, “tropical cyclones are named according to the rules at regional level. In the Atlantic and in the Southern hemisphere [Indian Ocean and South Pacific], tropical cyclones receive names in alphabetical order, and women and men’s names are alternated.”
Meanwhile, Tunisia has expressed on several occasions its opposition to any potential establishment of ties with Israel and said that the option would never be discussed.
Since his electoral campaign in 2019, Mr Saied has been an avid opponent of the continuing attempts to push towards further normalisation between Israel and other Arab states.
“Normalisation does not exist as a concept for me, it is an act of grand treason,” Mr Saied said during the cabinet meeting.
“The issue is not with Jews, the issue is with the international Zionist movement.”
