Gaza Conflict Casts Shadow Over Jewish Holidays in Morocco

"It’s unpleasant to celebrate this year, when innocent hostages remain captive and thousands of Palestinians are massacred daily in Gaza," Adela, a Moroccan Jew, told The New Arab in Casablanca, where the majority of Morocco’s 2,500 Jewish community members are found. The echoes of the Mellah, the Jewish quarter, which once resounded in the synagogues, have given way to a heavy silence, interrupted only by sniffles and murmurs of prayer. "All we can do is pray; pray for us all," she added. Yet, after the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel, many Israeli tourists used to come to the kingdom to celebrate Passover and the Moroccan Jewish tradition of "Mimouna" with great pomp. "I think today Morocco is a safer place to celebrate the holiday," an Israeli tourist said to the same media during his coverage of the Passover celebration in Morocco in 2022.

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Since the spectacular and surprise attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas and the bloody retaliation by Israel, hundreds of citizens and activists are mobilizing in the streets of Rabat and other Moroccan cities to demonstrate for Palestine on the one hand, and call on Morocco to backtrack on the normalization of its diplomatic relations with the Hebrew state in exchange for the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara and the closure of the Israeli liaison office in the Moroccan capital, on the other hand. Before the celebration of the Jewish Passover holiday, also called Pessah or Mimouna, the Israeli National Security Council (NSC) advised Israelis in late March not to travel to Morocco, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan. Despite the situation, Adela says she feels personally safe in Morocco. However, she advises Israelis not to come to Morocco this year. "People are furious with Israel and consider all Israelis as accomplices and guilty of the death of Palestinians," she added.

Today, Moroccan Jewish families are divided because of the war between Israel and Hamas. Seder plates have given way to heated political debates. Some Moroccan Jews prefer not to participate. "I refuse to share a table with Holocaust deniers. I’m not religious, but I know our religion doesn’t defend what Israel is doing," said Marvin, a young Moroccan Jew. The latter refused to celebrate the holidays with his estranged Israeli parents.