The Tunisian government stopped Israeli tourists aboard a cruise ship from entering the country this week as part of their vacation tour, according to Agence France Presse.
The Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line told media outlets that "During Norwegian Jade's port call in La Goulette, Tunisia on Sunday, March 9, 2014, a small number of guests holding Israeli passports were not allowed to go ashore because of a last minute decision made by the Tunisian government."
"We apologize for any inconvenience to our guests and appreciate their understanding. We are reviewing this decision with the appropriate officials," the cruise line added, saying it would return the port taxes to the Israelis since they were not permitted to visit Tunisia anyways.
No facts are yet in per se on what was the reason behind Tunis' surprise last minute decision to stop the tourists from entering, but reflects the tenuous history between Tunis and Tel Aviv. Often considered a "taboo" subject in the North African country, relations between the two countries have often fluctuated in part due to Tunis' hosting of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the country after the group was expelled from Lebanon.
Tunisia officially froze relations with Israel in 2000 following Israel's response to the second Palestinian intifada.
