If all seems too good to be true, it generally is:

The popular Tunisian singer Saleem Bakkoush has been forced to cancel a concert at the annual Carthage festival, after a video surfaced showing him performing at a synagogue.

Mr Bakkoush accused his rivals of publishing the tape to tarnish his reputation. [Source]

Perhaps I have become a hardened cynic, but the repeated ululations of religious cohesion in Tunisia rang overly wholesome.

Tunisia’s Jewish community is as ancient as it is fascinating, while the country’s diplomatic ties to Israel are largely positive.

Why then, performances at Jewish events by Tunisia’s foremost musicians should be greeted with all the horror and shame of being caught in a bondage dungeon while being whipped to the refrains of Jedward is bizarre.

It only demonstrates that what occurs at state level and on the ground are two very different things.

As an aside, this is possibly the most outlandish and ergo hilarious excuse conceived:

What angered people most in Tunisia was Mr El Sharif’s readiness to please the Israeli public by shouting “Long Live Netanyahu”, referring to the Israeli prime minister.

He later tried to defend his action by saying that he thought that was the bridegroom’s name.

Yup.

Nobody loves Israel that much.