Hamas hails Tunisian court ruling against Israeli visit

By Mohammed Majid

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has welcomed a Tunisian court ruling banning the entry of an Israeli delegation into Tunisia.

The delegation was scheduled to take part in the conference of World Forum Interfaith Dialogue Ambassadors, due to be held on Nov. 4-8.

But on Friday, the Tunis-based Court of First Instance ruled to prevent the Israeli delegation from entering the country to attend the event.

“We appreciate the great Tunisian people and all the Tunisian organizations that worked hard for allowing the issuance of this decision,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Twitter.

The issue was brought to the court by the National Commission for the Support of Arab Resistance, an NGO, the Republican Party and the People's Movement against the country's Tunisian Scouts -- the forum's organizers.

They demanded that the Israeli delegation or any Israeli citizenship holder be prevented from being hosted or participating in the forum.