Some 30,000 Jews have left Morocco “illegally” since the country attained independence in 1956, the influential French daily, Le Monde, reported here today in an extensive review of the Moroccan Government’s policy toward its Jewish population.
The paper said that there were two main causes for the immigration. It listed one as the failure of the Moroccan Government’s integration policy and the other as the “undeniable attraction” which Israel has for Moroccan Jews.
Le Monde reviewed the discriminations which Moroccan Jews suffer either individually or collectively, asserting that arrests of Jews had recently increased and that even the most inoffensive Jewish organizations were regarded with suspicion by Moroccan authorities. Another factor is the severance of mail communication between Morocco and Israel.
Because of these disabilities, the Paris daily said, Jews were “illegally” leaving Morocco at the rate of 2,000 a year. The daily added that the deterioration of conditions for Moroccan Jews was particularly regrettable because Morocco was probably the only Middle East or Arab country where Jews could live harmoniously with the Moslem majority.
The King, Mohammed V, is known for his tolerant attitudes, Le Monde noted, and added that the deterioration was due either to general Moroccan policies or to the attitude of some Moroccan officials.
(The Times of London reported today that despite reassurances to Moroccan Jewish leaders, given this week by Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, agitation was increasing against the ancient Jewish community of Morocco. The Times said that the recent Arab African “summit” conference in Casablanca led both to an anti-Israel resolution and charges that Moroccan Jews had staged a demonstration against the arrival of President Nasser of the United Arab Republic to participate in the conference.)
King Mohammed sent a message yesterday to President Nasser of the United Arab Republic in which he commented on the recent “summit” conference in Casablanca, and again expressed the hope for Arab-African cooperation to “stem the growing tide of colonialists and Zionists.”
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