King Mohammed VI Endorses New Instances For Moroccan Judaism
Rabat, July 14 (TNA) King Mohammed VI on Wednesday approved a reorganization of the Jewish community in Morocco, a "component" of national culture. The go ahead came at a meeting of the council of ministers that he exceptionally chaired at the Royal Palace in Rabat.
At the end of this council, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit presented to the monarch new measures concerning the organization of the Moroccan Jewish community, according to a statement by the spokesman for the Royal Palace, Abdelhak Lamrini.
These measures -- "developed, in accordance with the high royal instructions" -- "consecrate the Hebrew tributary as a component of Moroccan culture rich in its multiple tributaries," emphasizes the statement issued by the official agency MAP.
The Moroccan Jewish community, presently estimated at 3,000, remains the largest in North Africa, despite a massive departure to Israel after the creation of the Hebrew State in 1948.
This new organization of Moroccan Judaism comes at a time when the rapprochement between the Cherifian kingdom and the Hebrew state continues at an accelerated pace
Present since ancient times, reinforced in the 15th century by the expulsion of Jews from Spain, this community reached 250,000 souls in the late 1940s. The new provisions were developed following consultations with representatives and personalities of the Jewish community, according to the royal statement.
They establish a National Council of the Moroccan Jewish Community, responsible for "managing the affairs of the community and safeguarding the heritage and cultural and religious influence of Judaism and its authentic Moroccan values".
They also provide for the creation of a Commission of Moroccan Jews Abroad that "works to consolidate the ties of Moroccan Jews established abroad with their country of origin, strengthen their religious and cultural influence and defend the supreme interests of the Kingdom".
The approximately 700,000 Israelis of Moroccan descent have often maintained very strong ties with their country of origin. Finally, a Moroccan Judaism Foundation is created whose "missions are to promote and watch over the Judeo-Moroccan intangible heritage, to safeguard its traditions and preserve its specificities".