2023-12-02 17:58:01
Although Morocco condemned the October 7 massacre, and took a neutral position regarding the war, a social activist who is close to the Jewish community in the country, and prefers to remain anonymous, tells of an increase in anti-Semitism. “There were demonstrations against Israel,” he tells Davar. “We are a free country and it is allowed to demonstrate. It is fine to oppose Israel, but there is a difference between that and anti-Semitism and calling for the elimination of the State of Israel.”
The Moroccan government is sending aid to the Palestinians, and last week there were indeed marches in support of the Palestinians in Tangier and Casablanca, with the participation of tens of thousands of demonstrators. Anti-Semitic statements by politicians and public figures were also heard, but they did not receive a wide public response.
How did the war affect the situation?
“From October 7, chants began against Jews, not Israelis. Moroccan Jews were accused of financing Israel and seclusion. Celebrities claimed that Jews who live here do not help Muslims and control the Moroccan economy, and called Jews stingy. This is very dangerous. It endangers people's lives.”
In an interview with the YouTube channel, Nabila Moniv, former secretary general of the radical left party PSU, said that the Jews who live in Morocco do not fulfill their duties as Moroccan citizens, and donate their wealth to Israel.
“It's a small, but significant minority,” explains the activist. “Anti-Semitism is rearing its head, and we must not ignore it or hope that it will disappear. We need to recognize the existence of anti-Semitism in Morocco and fight it. Morocco has indeed condemned the attack by Hamas, but the Moroccan street is not uniform. About a million people (out of a population of almost 38 million) demonstrated here against Israel 90% of them were supporters of the Islamist party PJD, 10% were radical leftists, and a few were supporters of BDS.
“Radical Islam in Morocco is new. It came from the Middle East without roots in Moroccan culture. 20 years ago there was a growth of radical Islam, but most Moroccans returned to moderate Moroccan Islam. There are initiatives from civil society to find a solution. One of them is a petition by two women, a Jew and a Muslim, In order to illuminate that there is a problem of anti-Semitism in Morocco.”
How do things look on the official channels?
“The national television hardly covers the events. It maintains a neutral position. The government is trying to find a solution.”
On November 19, a solidarity meeting with Palestine was held in Rabat. As part of the meeting, senior Hamas official Khaled Mashal called on the Moroccan people to oppose the peace agreement with Israel.
“When Sha'al appealed to the Moroccan public to pressure the government to sever its relations with Israel, it was a gross and inappropriate interference in the relations between the king and the public. It's like addressing a child instead of the father of the family. The king, Mohammed VI, is the commander of the faithful (Emir al-Mu'aminin). He is responsible for the Muslims And the Jews in Morocco. He promotes dialogue and came out against anti-Semitism. His father, King Hassan II, helped the Jews, and his grandfather, King Mohammed V, protected them from the fascists.”
How can the situation be improved?
“Trust between the people is decreasing at the moment. When the war is over, we need to increase the connection between the people, initiatives of meetings. Since the signing of the Abraham Accords, connections have been built, we must continue to build them. The acquaintance between us has changed the perception of Jews towards Islam and the Arab world, and the perception of Muslims towards the Jews . We must not let radicalism, violence and hatred separate us. We need to cooperate, and know and get to know each other better.”
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