Aviel Haddad, 30, of Djerba, and his 42-year-old cousin Ben Haddad, who resided in France but had traveled to Djerba to celebrate Lag Ba’Omer at the historic synagogue, have been identified as the two Jews killed in the terrorist attack in Djerba.
According to the Tunisian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the attack claimed the lives of two foreign tourists and injured four additional Jews.
When the incident occurred outside, numerous people gathered inside the synagogue to celebrate Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s Hilula.
Local sources claim that the incident started when a National Guard naval station guard shot and killed his companion with his rifle before stealing the ammunition.
He made an effort to enter the synagogue and fired at the security personnel, who were able to stop him. However, the incident left two security guards dead and six others wounded.
One of the Djerba community leaders, Rabbi Aharon Mazuz, stated on Israeli television “We had a magnificent miracle yesterday.
The shooter was stopped from entering the synagogue, averting a tragedy.
This was the third attack on the mikvah, and we are in contact with the police to tighten security. Today, no Jew ventures outside of Djerba because all our companies are closed.
According to Israeli news site Kan, Rav Baniel Haddad, a relative of the two martyrs who formerly resided in Djerba, “the relations with our Arab neighbors are excellent, there is even friendship.
But there are underlying animosities. The Hilula celebration is a major city event that draws guests from Israel, Europe, and North Africa.
Haddad claimed that those present were held in the synagogue for hours and that his mother and sister, who were also there, were still inconsolable over what happened.
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