Tunisian special forces patrol around the Djerba synagogue in the Tunisian resort island of Djerba during the annual Jewish Lag B'Omer pilgrimage, May 25, 2016. (AFP Photo/Fethi Belaid)
DJERBA, Tunisia — The Tunisian island of Djerba is hosting an annual Jewish pilgrimage amid increased security after deadly Islamic extremist attacks last year scared away tourists and raised fears of religious violence.
Soldiers are guarding the area in southern Tunisia and special security forces are carrying out checks on vehicles, intersections and hotels. The Israeli government reportedly issued a warning earlier this month advising Israelis not to travel to Tunisia for the event.
Rabbi Raphael Cohen of Safat, Israel, came anyway, praising Djerba as a “symbol of tolerance and peaceful cohabitation.”
Under a sweltering heat, crowds gathered for ceremonies Wednesday and Thursday at the 2,500-year-old Djerba synagogue, which was targeted in a 2002 attack. The pilgrimage used to draw huge crowds but security concerns have scared many away.
Chief executive of Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdon Rabbi Danny Rich at the Djerba synagogue in the Tunisian resort island of Djerba during the annual Jewish Lag B’Omer pilgrimage, May 25, 2016. (AFP Photo/Fethi Belaid)
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
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