TUNIS, Tunisia 

Tunisia said it is committed by the Arab boycott of Israel.

Last week, activists circulated media reports on social media about trade exchange between Tunis and Tel Aviv, a claim dismissed by the Tunisian Ministry of Trade.

“Tunisia is committed by the rules and principles of the Arab boycott within relevant agreements at the level of the Arab League,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said Tunisia has refused to apply the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which covers international trade in goods, regarding Israel since the North African nation joined it in 1990.

The ministry said it bans foreign companies and transport firms “that violate the principles and rules of the boycott to Israel.”

In 1954, the Cairo-based Arab League endorsed a resolution to boycott Israel following its creation in historical Palestine.

In 2020, four Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – normalized relations with Israel under US-sponsored agreements. The four nations joined Egypt and Jordan, which signed peace agreements with Israel in 1979 and 1994.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar