Jews have been living in Morocco since the time of
Antiquity. Prior to World War II, the Jewish population of Morocco reached 225,000.
Although, Jews were not deported during the war, they did suffer humiliation
under the Vichy government. Following the U.S. landing in 1943, a few
pogroms did occur. In June 1948, bloody riots in Oujda and Djerada killed
44 Jews and wounded scores more. That same year, an unofficial economic
boycott was instigated against Moroccan Jews.
In 1956, Morocco declared its independence, and Jewish immigration to Israel was
suspended. In 1963, emigration resumed, allowing more than 100,000 Moroccan
Jews to reach Israel.2
In 1965, Moroccan writer Said Ghallab described the attitude of his
fellow Muslims toward their Jewish neighbors:
"The Jews no longer reside in the traditional
Jewish mellahs, but intermarriage is almost unknown. The community has
always been religious and tolerant....The younger generation prefers
to continue its higher education abroad and tends not to return to Morocco.
Thus the community is in a process of aging."5
In early 2004, Marrakesh had a small population of
about 260 people, most over the age of 60. Casablanca has the largest
community, about 3,000 people. There are synagogues,
mikvaot, old-age homes, and kosher restaurants in Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Mogador, Rabat,
Tetuan and Tangier. In 1992,
most Jewish schools were closed, but Casablanca has experienced a bit
of a renewal and now 10 schools serve 800 students there.5a
"The Jewish community developed a fascinating
tradition of rituals and pilgrimages to the tombs of holy sages. There
are 13 such famous sites, centuries old, well kept by Muslims. Every
year on special dates, crowds of Moroccan Jews from around the world,
including Israel, throng to these graves. A unique Moroccan festival,
the Mimunah, is celebrated in Morocco and in Israel."6
Morocco is perhaps Israel's closest friend in the
Arab world. King Hassan often
tried to be a behind-the-scenes catalyst in the Arab-Israeli peace process.
In July 1986, he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Shimon
Peres in an effort to stimulate progress. Two months later, Hassan
met with a delegation of Jews of Moroccan origin, including an Israeli
Knesset member. In 1993, after signing the agreement
with the PLO, Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin paid a formal visit to Morocco.
In May 1999, King
Hassan organized the first meeting of the World Union of Moroccan
Jews, in Marrakech.
In April and May 2000, the Moroccan government sponsored
a series of events and lectures promoting respect among religions.7 Andre Azoulay, royal counselor and a leading Jewish citizen, spoke about
the need for interfaith respect and dialogue. In October 2000, two Moroccan
youths tried to vandalize a Tangiers synagogue. King Mohamed VI publicly
declared in a televised speech on November 6, 2000, that the government
would not tolerate mistreatment of Morocco’s Jews. The youths were
subsequently sentenced to one year in prison.8
On May 16, 2003, a series of suicide
bombers attacked four Jewish targets in Casablanca, and a fifth
attack was made against the Spanish consulate. No Jews were hurt in
the attack because it occurred on Shabbat when the buildings were empty
of Jews. Twenty-nine Muslims were killed. Though the bombings affected
the Jewish sense of security, they were viewed by most Moroccans as
assaults on the country's social and political order, and a test of
the young king's power, rather than an act of anti-Semitism.
King Mohammed VI visited the site of one of the attacks the day it occurred
and urged the Jewish community to rebuild. The government subsequently
organized a large rally in the streets of Casablanca to demonstrate
support for the Jewish community and the king reasserted his family's
traditional protection for the country's Jews.9
Sources:
1. David Singer and Lawrence
Grossman, Eds. American
Jewish Year Book 2003. NY: American Jewish Committee, 2003.
2. Maurice Roumani, The Case of the Jews from Arab
Countries: A Neglected Issue, (Tel Aviv: World Organization of Jews
from Arab Countries, 1977), pp. 32-33.
3. Said Ghallab, "Les Juifs sont en enfer,"
in Les Temps Modernes, (April 1965), pp. 2247-2251.
4. U.S.
State Department Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996; Jewish
Communities of the World; U.S.
State Department Report on Human Rights Practices for 1997.
5. Jewish
Communities of the World.
5a. Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, (March 17, 2004).
6. Jewish
Communities of the World.
7. U.S.
Department of State, 2000
Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, Released by the
Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Washington, DC, (September
5, 2000).
8. U.S.
Department of State, 2001
Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, Released by the
Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Washington, DC, (October
26, 2001).
9. Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, (March 17, 2004).