Moroccan protesters blockaded the border with the Spanish enclave of Melilla Aug. 13, effectively shutting it down. Since mid-July, Morocco’s government has issued five statements accusing Spanish police of abusing Moroccans in the enclave, as well as charging that a Spanish civil guard sea patrol abandoned a boat filled with eight ill African migrants in the Mediterranean after intercepting them trying to enter Spain. “The Kingdom of Morocco is astonished that no official answer was offered by Spanish authorities until now over the cases of racist drift by the Spanish police,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. The two countries’ kings spoke by telephone this week to try to ease tensions. (AP, Aug. 13; Reuters, Expatica, Aug. 11)
See our last posts on Spain, Morocco and the politics of European immigration.
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Anti-Jewish protests in Morocco?
The far-right Israeli daily Arutz Sheva (also going by the name Israel National News) reported Aug. 2 that the property of Jewish businessman Noam Nir was targeted for protest in a demonstration ostensibly against a Jewish advisor to the Moroccan throne who has supposedly taken pro-Israel positions. The only source for the story seems to be Nir himself, although there is a brief video clip of the protest (which appears to have been neither large nor violent). The report refers to the city where the protest took place as Mogador—the old colonial-era name for Essaouira. The only other outlet that seems to have covered the incident is Israel Today (which is also right-wing, although not as viciously so as Arutz Sheva). Again, the only source is Nir, and the city is referred to as Mogador.
Essaouira is a site of Jewish pilgrimage, with thousands of Jews from abroad coming each September to visit the tomb of the revered 19th century Rabbi Haim Pinto, author of a mystical tract called Lumiere du Juste. Essaouira had a thriving Jewish community before the establishment of Israel, but virtually all that is left of it today are two cemeteries. The pilgrims are still welcomed back, though. We hope this is not now changing in backlash against Israel’s atrocious actions.
Another ugly contradiction of the situation faced by indigenous Middle Eastern Jews.
Stop the propaganda
I can not believe that I still have to defend Judaism -2010 and make sure there are no confusions between the two. Zionist is an extreme view of the world insisting on the supremacy of the Judaic race and/or religion. This story is nothing but Zionist propaganda trying to mix the issues of fighting against Zionists and antisemitism. The people in the video said nothing about Jews in any way shape or form. They chanted two slogans: 1- Zionists out of Palestine. 2- The Moroccan people and Palestinians are the same people. Where is the anti Judaism her???
Then was Noam Nir’s building picketed?
And if so, why? Is he a “Zionist”?
Just asking, that’s all.