Forlorn Passover for Moroccan Jews amid Gaza war
Morocco’s Jewish community struggles to find joy this Passover as Israel’s war in Gaza rages, with dozens of Israelis held captive by Hamas, according to The New Arab on April 25th. Home to the majority of the 2,500 remaining Moroccan Jews and once host to lively Passover celebrations, Casablanca is witnessing a palpable stillness in acknowledgment of the now 205-day-long conflict in the Holy Land.
Since the countries normalized ties in 2020, Israelis have flocked to the kingdom for Passover, and the Moroccan-Jewish “Mimouna” tradition.
Launched in 2021, direct flights between Tel Aviv and Casablanca have made family reunions for the one million Jewish people of Moroccan descent living in Israel easier and more affordable.
However, as reported by The Times of Israel on March 28th, Israel warned its citizens against travel to destinations including Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt ahead of the Passover festival, citing threats from jihadist groups and Iran.
Since the Israel-Gaza conflict was ignited on October 7th, 2023, anti-Israel sentiment has risen in the kingdom, with weekly anti-normalization demonstrations, including Israeli flag burnings, on the up.
READ: Morocco: No abstinence of support for Gaza during Ramadan
On October 7th, Hamas operatives attacked southern Israel killing over 1,000 people and taking around 250 as hostages, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli social security data. The group are still believed to be holding around 100 surviving Israeli captives.
In their retaliatory bombardment and invasion, Israeli forces have killed at least 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry’s estimates, with thousands more presumed dead under rubble.
Adela, a Jewish Moroccan woman, told The New Arab: “It’s distasteful to celebrate this year, as innocent hostages remain captive, and thousands of Palestinians are daily massacred in Gaza.”
Adela says she feels safe as a Jew in Morocco but does not advise Israelis to visit this year, adding: “People are furious at Israel, and they see all Israelis as accomplices and guilty of the death of Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s Jewish community has officially cancelled pilgrimage to its El-Ghriba synagogue and Lag Ba’Omer festivities due to security fears.
READ: Tunisian Jews tone down festivities amid security fears
Rabat has not issued an official statement on the status of Passover and Mimouna celebrations for Morocco’s Jewish community.
The New Arab / The Times of Israel / AFP
