Hundreds of Tunisians rallied in support of the Palestinians on Wednesday, calling for their own government to outlaw relations between Tunisians and Israelis.
The protests, organised by the influential General Tunisian Worker’s Union, or UGTT, drew almost 1,000 people to downtown Tunis.
Tunisia has long resisted normalising relations with Israel.
“As Tunisia respects the sovereign positions of other countries, it affirms that its stance is principled and changes in the international scene will never affect it,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Despite its stance against normalising relations with Israel, Tunisia has usually stopped short of any further action.
Attempts in 2014 to include a clause in the new constitution criminalising business or political relationships with Israel or Israelis failed.
Another push in 2020 for a similar law stalled in a deadlocked Parliament.
That draft legislation would have outlawed any business, cultural, scientific or educational exchanges, direct or indirect, between Tunisians and Israelis or the Israeli government.
Offenders would have been subject to fines and prison.
Many Tunisian businesses export goods, often indirectly through France, to Israel.
The Observatory of Economic Complexity estimates that Tunisian businesses exported almost $19 million in goods to Israel in 2019.
Farhat Zaghbani, 29, was among those attending the rally.
“We must put pressure on this Parliament, which has previously failed to pass this law,” Ms Zaghbani said.
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Key facilities
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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