Rabat – Former Minister of Justice Mustafa Ramid has joined a campaign that condemned a recent Hiloula ceremony in Essaouira – where explicit prayers were made for the Israeli occupation forces.
Ramid took to his Facebook this week, accusing the ceremony of glorifying the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), which are directly involved in a genocidal war in Gaza since October 2023.
The event, which took place from September 17-22, commemorates Rabbi Haim Pinto, a distinguished Essaouiran Rabbi.
Reports, including from Hebrew news outlets, said representatives from both Israel and Morocco offered prayers for the IOF.
The news sparked uproar as tens of thousands of Moroccans have been involved in national campaigns and protests, expressing support for Palestinians amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Ramid emphasized that Moroccan jews have the right to celebrate their religious ceremonies freely.
But what was shocking for Ramid was the prayers that were offered for “the army of genocide.”
“No one disputes the right of Moroccan Jews to celebrate freely, in accordance with the teachings of their religion, and within the framework of what the Constitution obliges the state to guarantee: The right of every person to practice their religion,” Ramid said.
For the former minister, however, the prayers for the IOF did not respect the sentiments of present national institutions – or the general Moroccan public – regarding the genocide in Gaza and the broader Palestinian question.
“This is a grave mistake, blatant provocation, and a dangerous deviation that the authorities must be vigilant against repeating,” Ramid wrote.
He said that nothing justifies turning a religious ceremony or a practice into a “praise for the terrorism of a rogue, criminal state whose leaders are pursued worldwide under arrest warrants issued by international criminal justice.”
The Moroccan government has also been vocal against Israel’s relentless campaign, targeting civilians across the region.
At the UN General Assembly, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch conveyed Morocco’s position, recalling the country’s support for the two-state solution as the only path to establish a lasting and comprehensive peace.
He also urged guaranteeing humanitarian aid entry to Gaza and the occupied West Bank without obstacles, emphasizing the importance of an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering of Palestinians.
