Tunisia ready for El Ghriba ‘s pilgrimage in Dejerba

The Tunisian dream island of Djerba is ready to welcome the annual traditional Jewish pilgrimage to the El Ghriba synagogue. Pilgrims begin to flock the island to perform the annual ritual, which will take place on the  22 and 23  of  May.

It goes without saying that the  Ghriba synagogue is considered one of the oldest synagogues in Tunisia, holding a holy scared significance. The annual pilgrimage takes place every year with celebrations beginning on the 14 lyer and ending on the  18th lyer. The two latter dates commemorate Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess and Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. The pilgrimage involves visiting various prayer houses throughout the area.  High hopes are held for the annual pilgrimage as it is expected to boost the Tunisian economy and playing a role in attracting over 9 million visitors from over the world.

In a statement to our regional correspondent,  the tourism minister René Trabelsi announced that all necessary preparations and measures have taken place to ensure the success of the visit. The event is considered a success factor in boosting the tourism sector.

He further;  stated that military and security establishments have harnessed all their human and logistic resources to ensure the safety of 7,000  expected visitors from around the world.  He further,  hailed the tremendous efforts of the ministry of interior. Adding that security is a caterpillar to reach and secure an estimated 9000 expected visitors in 2019.

On the other hand, The minister of interior Hichem Fourati paid a visit to the island of Djerba on Saturday night to oversee the latest preparations for the El Ghriba ‘s pilgrimage. In a statement to our correspondent, the minister stressed the readiness of security units pointing out that for a long time preparation has been undergoing for the event. He further stated that the security situation in Tunisia is stable despite the high level of terrorist threats, with recent security achievements that include the discovery of weapons storehouse in Kasserine.