Language:
French
Year of publication:
2013
Titel der Quelle:
Revue d'histoire maghrebine
Angaben zur Quelle:
149 (2013) 79-96
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Jews
;
Tunisia Emigration and immigration
Abstract:
Contends that the Italian Jews of Tunisia, who numbered ca. 3,000 in 1940, were isolated from their local coreligionists, and discriminated against by the French both as Jews as Italians. In the 1930s they had constituted the economic elite of Tunisia's Italian community and were in general loyal to the fascist regime. They therefore perceived the racial laws enacted in Italy in 1938 as a betrayal, altough they were hardly touched by them. In 1940 the first French law on the status of Jews was implemented less stringently in Tunisia than in Algeria, except for the local Italian Jews who owned almost all of the country's cinemas, which were requisitioned. Shows that as Italy lost territory and freedom of commerce in North Africa due to the war, the Jewish community in Tunis, which posessed 40% of all Italian-owned land there and 80% of all important Italian businesses, became essential for maintaining Italy's position. This explains why Italian authorities, who had enacted racist laws in their own country, stepped in to defend the rights of Italian Jews in Tunisia. Describes Italian efforts to stop the Aryanization of Jewish-Italian property. They first turned to Vichy, whose authorities did not dare to concede for fear of upsetting the Germans. Italian officials then turned to the German ambassador to Paris, who prohibited French acquisition of Italian Jewish property in Tunisia. The German foreign minister opted for neutrality and no action was taken against the Jews. Paradoxically, during the German-Italian occupation in 1942-43, the situation of the Italian Jews in Tunisia improved, especially in the labor camp of Enfidaville. As of December 1942, the Jews, like all other Italians, were exempt from penalties and forced labor.
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