Rabat – The number of Moroccans living in Israel constitutes the second largest Moroccan diaspora after that of France.
The number of Moroccan immigrants living in Israel is around 800,000 according to a guide elaborated by the Ministry of Moroccans Residing Abroad. This number makes up a tenth of the entire population of the Jewish state, as well as beingthe second largest diaspora in the world according to the guide.
The study incudes those individuals who “have kept a direct or indirect link with Morocco, whether or not they participate in the Moroccan life outside its borders.”
France is home to the largest Moroccan diaspora with 1.3 million Moroccans. It is followed by Israel with 800,000, Spain with 758,000, Italy (506,000), Holland (460,000), Belgium (407,647), the United States (150,000), Germany (140,000), and Canada (120,000).
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is home to largest Moroccan diaspora with 85,000 people. It is followed by Qatar with 75,000, Saudi Arabia with 43,216 and Kuwait with 21,843.
Moroccans residing abroad transferred MAD 59.2 billion back to Morocco in 2014. The majority of these transfers came from France, Spain, Italy, the US and Arab Countries while Israel is at the bottom of the list.
Moroccan Jews lived in Morocco since for over 2,000 years. Between 1961 and 1964, however, around 97,000 Moroccan Jews emigrated to Israel through Operation Yakhin conducted by the Israeli Mossad.
