Tunisia denies terror plot against Jews

Tunisia's interior ministry has denied receiving reports of a rumoured assault on a Jewish pilgrimage set to reach Tunisia next week to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer. Jewish pilgrims are bound for the historic Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba Island on the Tunisian northern coast to commemorate the event. "The interior ministry denies what was mentioned Thursday in some international media outlets about a suspected terrorist assault in Tunisia. We want to assure all citizens and tourists that the ministry has taken all the necessary security measures for the annual Jewish celebrations at Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba," the ministry said in an official statement. Israel's counter-terrorism bureau on Thursday reiterated its existing travel advisory regarding Tunisia ahead of the holiday. "The National Security Council counter-terrorism bureau has today decided to reiterate the existing travel advisory regarding Tunisia in light of plans to perpetrate terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets ahead of the upcoming Lag Ba’omer pilgrimage," it said in a press release. Tunisia receives about 6000 Jewish visitors at the synagogue annually, mainly from Europe and Israel. This year, about 2000 Jews are expected to come to the island of Djerba, 500 of them from abroad and the rest residents of Tunisia, according to pilgrimage supervisor Rene Trabelsi. "We will resume the pilgrimage season this year after the halt imposed by the events of the Tunisian revolution, thanks to the government's assurances of providing appropriate security for its Jewish visitors," said Trabelsi. The Ghriba Synagogue was the target of an al-Qaeda terrorist attack in 2002 that left 21 people dead, most of them German tourists. Lag Baomer is celebrated on the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. According to the holy Jewish books the Talmud and Midrash, the day marks the death anniversary of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a Mishnaic sage and leading disciple of thr renowned Rabbi Akiva in the 2nd century. Modern Jewish tradition links the holiday to the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire. In Israel, Lag Baomer is celebrated as a symbol for "the fighting Jewish spirit".