Morocco Bans Jewish Pilgrimage Gatherings Amid COVID-19 Surge

"In order to safeguard our community already severely affected by the pandemic (of Covid-19, no community gathering is authorized until further notice, regardless of its nature, if it does not respect the gauges prescribed by the health authorities," informs the Council of the Israelite Community of Morocco in a press release, urging its members to redouble their vigilance and respect health protection measures, in order to avoid new tragedies within the community.

The body thus recalls the health restrictions taken by the Moroccan authorities, in order to curb the spread of the Omicron variant. These include the prohibition of exceeding 50 people for any gathering and outdoor activity. It is mandatory to have an authorization issued by the local authorities in the event of large influxes exceeding the authorized number.

The dissemination of the press release from the Council of the Israelite Community of Morocco follows the last-minute cancellation on Thursday of a flight from Tel Aviv carrying 150 people who wanted to celebrate the hiloula in Midelt. In a statement to Le360, Serge Berdugo, secretary general of the Council of the Israelite Community of Morocco, assures that there is no link between these two elements. Only, his Council does not authorize any Hiloula in the current context of the health crisis related to Covid-19.