On Sunday afternoon, a group of self-proclaimed « activists » affiliated with the « Tunisian Network against normalization with Israel » staged yet another sit-in in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.
Officially organized in protest against American support for Israel in the war on Gaza, the gathering appears primarily to serve as a platform for a familiar anti-Western narrative, marked by heightened nationalism, rejection of international cooperation, and the glorification of symbolic causes.
According to the action’s coordinator, Ghassen Besbes, the protest is expected to continue until next Sunday. The demonstrators claim to defend « national sovereignty » in response to what they describe as a U.S. attempt at interference, specifically referencing a U.S. Congressional bill calling for a return to democracy in Tunisia. While framed by protesters as an attack on Tunisian independence, the bill reflects growing international concern over the erosion of freedoms under President Kaïs Saïed’s current regime.
The group’s demands reflect a desire for a complete break with the United States: criminalizing all forms of normalization with Israel, ending military and security cooperation with Washington, and suspending bilateral relations altogether.
The sit-in also purports to support the Maghreb-based flotilla “Soumoud,” which is expected to depart from Tunisia on September 10 in an attempt, largely symbolic, to break the blockade on Gaza. Similar initiatives in the past have often been intercepted or abandoned, with little to no impact on the ground.
Composed mainly of individuals from radical activist circles, the event seems more like a media stunt, recycling anti-American slogans in an already strained geopolitical climate.
While framed as a grassroots movement, such mobilizations risk further isolating Tunisia diplomatically, at a time when reengaging with international partners is critical to addressing a deep economic crisis and restoring the country’s diminishing credibility on the global stage.