Morocco, a country on the northwest tip of Africa, just across the strait of Gibraltar from Spain is perhaps Israel's closest friend in the Arab world. King Hassan often encouraged the peace process from behind the scenes, and in 1993, Yitzhak Rabin paid a formal visit to Morocco -- the first Arab nation outside of Egypt to officially receive an Israeli leader. The current king is 41-year-old Mohamed VI.
Morocco's monarchy has a family tradition of respecting the Jews. The previous king, King Hassan, tried to protect Jews from riots that broke out in the wake of Israeli independence, and his predecessor, Mohammed V, is widely credited with having saved Morocco's Jews from deportation during World War II.
In Morocco -- although the Jewish population has dropped from 265,000 in 1948, to about 5,500 today -- there is one of the most tolerant environments for Jews in the Arab world: Moroccan Jewish emigres, even those with Israeli citizenship, freely visit Morocco, and Moroccan Jews hold leading positions in business and government.
In May 2003, when a series of suicide bombers attacked Jewish targets in Casablanca, the king immediately visited the site, urged the Jewish community to rebuild, and pledged to guarantee the community's safety. The government then organized a large rally in the streets of Casablanca to demonstrate support for the Jewish community.
Click here to read this moving story by Rabbi Shoshan Ghoori about his recent visit with the King of Morocco and how it opened up new vistas in his understanding of God. Folks, this is a great article
My Meeting with the King
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