A thousand residents of the Jewish community in Djerba celebrated the holiday of Purim with special costumes and food.

About a thousand residents of the Jewish community in Djerba, Tunisia, on Monday celebrated the holiday of Purim with special costumes and food.

Tunisia's chief rabbi, Rabbi Haim Bittan, read the Book of Esther at the El Ghriba Synagogue.

About a week ago, Tunisian President Kais Saied visited the Jewish Quarter on the island of Djerba, where he met with several representatives of the Jewish community.

The Tunisian President stressed during the visit that Tunisian Jews are citizens who have equal rights and obligations to other Tunisian citizens.

He said that there is no place to talk about the Jewish community and the Jews must be distinguished from the "Zionists", as he put it.

Saied has been critical of Israel in the past but the country’s government distinguishes between Israel and its Jewish community and has even been showcasing its Jewish heritage sites in recent years.