Members of Morocco’s Jewish community, estimated at fewer than 2,000, continue to emigrate, especially to Israel.
Rabat – Rabbi Yitzhak Sabag spoke about Morocco’s tolerance and religious coexistence in a recent interview and called the country “a kingdom of grace” for the Jewish community.
Sabag said, on December 31, that the Jewish community in Morocco is estimated between 1,500 and 1,800 members.
The Rabbi explained that anti-Semitism is affecting the whole world but it is not the case at all in Morocco.
“Thankfully, we have not reached such situations,” he said.
The Rabbi then emphasized that “Moroccan Jewry is very, very well off.”
The statement from the Rabbi echoed remarks made by Rabbi Levi Banon early in December.Rabbi Banon spoke about coexistence and tolerance in the country after Moroccan officials attended Hanukkah celebration on December 22, 2019.
The governor of Casablanca-Anfa’s prefecture, Rachid Afirat, and the Wali of the Casablanca region, Said Ahmidouch both attended the event.
Banon said that the participation of Moroccan public officials “sends a strong message of peace and tolerance.”
He also recalled Morocco’s coexistence approach under “the leadership and inspiration of King Mohammed VI.”
The Rabbi added that Morocco has been a “true example for the world of what coexistence between all peoples looks like.”
The Population and Immigration Authority, according to the Israeli foreign affairs ministry, said in November that as many as 432 Moroccan jews emigrated from Morocco to Israel over the last eight years.
The ministry added that the number of Jews living in Arab countries at the end of World War II stood at 850,000.
TheJewish community living in Morocco represents lower figures than the pre and post war population.
The International federation of Jewish communities and organizations World Jewish Congress (WJC) estimates that there are approximately 2,300 Jews still living in Morocco.
The Jewish community is spread around the mellah or walled cities of Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier, Fez, and Casablanca.
Thousands of Jewish people flew to Morocco to celebrate events, such as Hanukkah and Hillola events in Morocco.
