Israel Honors Morocco for Protecting Jews During Holocaust, Strengthening Diplomatic Ties

In a letter made public on December 22, Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked the Moroccans "who, for generations, have acted to protect the security, well-being and cultural heritage of the Jewish community in the kingdom." "And when millions of Jews suffered the horrors of the Holocaust [...] King Mohammed V provided a safe haven for his Jewish subjects," he said. And he added: "Moroccan Jews remember with pride and affection [...] your grandfather Mohammed V, who will be remembered as the protector [...] of the Jews in this kingdom."

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King Mohammed V had saved the Jews of Morocco when the country was dependent on the Vichy regime, between 1940 and 1942. The Vichy government had adopted anti-Jewish laws in France and had insisted on their enforcement in North Africa. But it had met with the refusal of King Mohammed V. Currently, the Jewish community of Morocco numbers some 3,000 people.