Marrakech – The European Union has cancelled a €3 million grant intended to support the preservation of Moroccan Jewish heritage initiatives. The cancellation came just four days after the beginning of the Israel-Iran war, according to an Israel Hayom exclusive report.
The call for proposals had been launched in September 2023, with community initiatives submitting applications in December of that year. Several projects successfully passed the first stage in April, and full proposals were submitted earlier this month. Applicants were then unexpectedly informed last week that the entire call had been cancelled without explanation.
Sources in Morocco stated that the targeted projects had no connection to Israel. “The projects had no link to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Zionism or political events, but were solely focused on preserving Moroccan Jewish culture,” they told Israel Hayom.
The cancelled initiatives included preservation of centuries-old cemeteries, cultural programming, history education, and studies of pre-state Jewish-Muslim shared heritage in Morocco.
Those familiar with the matter suggested political motivations behind the decision. “The timing of the cancellation is not neutral. It followed the military escalation and the shift in European positions toward Israel and the Palestinians. The message is clear: Jewish equals political, and political equals ‘unacceptable,’” they stated, according to the Hebrew report.
Community leaders in Morocco accused the EU of reducing Moroccan Jewish identity to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. They characterized this as stemming from “historical ignorance and racism.”
“This punishes communities for a geopolitical reality they neither created nor control. It’s not policy—it’s fallout. And it comes at the expense of cultural preservation, truth, and justice,” the sources added.
According to the French-language rejection letter obtained by Israel Hayom, applicants were simply told: “Monsieur, thank you for submitting a full application to the above call. It is with great regret that I inform you that the call has been cancelled. I invite you to consult future calls for proposals.”
The cancellation impacts preservation efforts for a Jewish presence in Morocco that spans over 2,300 years. This heritage was shaped through multiple historical phases, including migrations following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the influx of Jewish exiles from Spain in 1492.
Under Islamic rule, Moroccan Jews lived as dhimmis with internal autonomy while serving as diplomats, merchants, and advisors during the Saadi and Alaouite dynasties, creating a unique cultural identity distinct from both European and Middle Eastern Jewish communities.
By 1956, Morocco’s Jewish population had grown to approximately 250,000, making it one of the largest Jewish communities in the Arab world. While significant emigration occurred between 1956 and the early 1970s, primarily to Israel and France, the remaining community and their historical sites represent an irreplaceable cultural legacy.
The cancelled projects aimed to safeguard this heritage, which includes not just physical structures but also the documentation of centuries-old traditions of Jewish-Muslim coexistence that predated the establishment of Israel and modern political conflicts.
