|
|
July 30, 1999/17 Av 5759, Vol. 51, No.43
Moroccan Jews mourn death of king
GIL SEDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - The death of Morocco's King Hassan II caused tens of thousands of Israelis to mourn for the man they consider their king. The Moroccan Jewish community in Israel observed a seven-day period of mourning for the late king, who died Friday, July 16, of a heart attack at the age of 70.
Reaction from Israel's leadership was just as heartfelt, as a delegation led by Israeli President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak joined 30 world leaders, including President Clinton and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, in remembering a man who played a vital role in bridging the gap between the Jewish state and the Arab world. Barak called the late monarch "a friend to the governments of Israel in their voyage toward peace with the Arab people."
In Israel, Moroccan Jews have traditionally supported parties such as Likud or Shas, that espouse hard-line policies toward the Arab countries. This is partly to compensate for the fact that they felt "Ashkenazi Jews regarded them as Jewish Arabs," according to Haim Shiran, 64, director of Inbal, an ethnic center in Tel Aviv. He said anti-Arab political views are a kind of self-defense mechanism, a way to distinguish themselves from the Arabs.
But when it came to the king's death, the reaction of Israel's estimated 300,000 Moroccan Jews appeared similar to Morocco's Arab residents, many of whom consider the king to be a direct descendent of the Muslim prophet Mohammad. "I know that it may sound ridiculous," said Shiran, "but when on Friday, I saw the Moroccan announcer on television announcing the death of the king, I broke out in tears."
King Hassan II took power in 1961 after the death of his father Mohammed V, employing a deft mixture of pro-Western democracy and traditional autocracy that earned the respect of his people. He survived several coup attempts, including one in which he reportedly pacified an attacker by reciting the opening verses of the Koran.
Hassan is succeeded by his 36-year-old son, Mohammed, VI. Most observers, citing the new monarch's knowledge of four languages and his degree from a French university, believe he will continue his father's pro-Western, pro-peace policies.
The new king's grandfather, Mohammed V, is widely credited with having saved Morocco's Jews from deportation during World War II, and Hassan continued the philo-Semitic policies of his father. Although there was an outbreak of anti-Jewish incidents following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the Jewish community was generally safe under the protection of both Mohammed and Hassan, who proudly considered the Jews "Moroccans of Jewish origin."
When tens of thousands of Jews left Morocco in a massive aliyah (immigration to Israel) that began after Morocco gained its independence in 1956, they did so largely because of Zionism and a desire for economic opportunity as out of fear of anti-Semitism.
Along with the late King Hussein of Jordan, Hassan was considered a moderate in the Middle East. During his 38-year reign, he at first discreetly, then openly, promoted ties with Israel at a time when most of the rest of the Arab world rejected such contact. His efforts helped pave the way for the 1978 Camp David accord between Israel and Egypt.
King Hassan also played a role in preparing for the 1991 Madrid peace conference and welcomed Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in September 1993, making Morocco the first Arab nation outside of Egypt to officially receive an Israeli leader.
In 1994, Hassan hosted the first Middle East regional economic conference, which included Israel, in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. After the euphoria of the 1993 Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel was allowed to establish a consular office in Rabat, and an estimated 40,000 Israeli tourists visited Morocco in 1995 and 1996.
JTA correspondent Naomi Segal in Jerusalem also contributed to this report.
|
