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Kaplan would serve both U.S. and Morocco well in new role
NEWS

tweeter rss

RUDY BOSCHWITZ, PLYMOUTH
Sam Kaplan is surely to be congratulated if he becomes the U.S. ambassador to Morocco, a significant post in a country with which the United States has long had warm relations. Indeed, the first treaty our country ever negotiated was with Morocco in about 1789. Morocco also has a special Minnesota connection because most of its agronomists during my time as senator were trained at the University of Minnesota. While their role in Middle East matters was nominal (Morocco is a continent away -- more than 3,000 miles - from Jerusalem), King Hassan, during my Senate years, and now his son, the present King Mohammed VI, are direct descendants of the prophet and so are monarchs of special prestige and status. The kings do treat their Jewish minority well. While hardly a "significant" minority as the Star Tribune article states

-- they are more than 5,000 souls in a population exceeding 30 million -- they are nonetheless the largest Jewish minority in any Arab nation, most of which expelled their Jewish citizens over half a century ago. Morocco also had an interesting relationship with Israel that is not well known. Israel gave important technological assistance that was most helpful in Morocco successfully overcoming its long Cold War Communist insurgency with the Polisaro in the Western Sahara. Finally, your article notes Mr. Kaplan's Jewishness. His religion should not be regarded as unusual in Middle East matters. For the entire decade of the '90s Dennis Ross was the chief American negotiator with the Palestinians and others of Israel's neighbors. Not only didn't his Jewishness matter (his assistant, Aaron Miller, was also Jewish), Dennis developed close relationships with many with whom he negotiated. You mention the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Sam Lewis, as being Jewish. He is not. But Dan Kurtzer, an Orthodox Jew, was ambassador to both Egypt and Israel in recent years. So the United States and Minnesota have a long association with Morocco which Sam Kaplan will surely carry forward with honor.


 

RUDY BOSCHWITZ, PLYMOUTH; FORMER U.S. SENATOR, R-MINN., 1978-91,
AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, 2005

 letter published at Minnesota Star Tribune

 


 

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Comments (3)add comment

Germelou said:

tzz yawoudi aala excellency.
Riley was a true disaster dude. It took him 5 years to figure things out and only become decent a little before he was due to pack up. His early years were simply ridiculous. If it were not for his DCMs and other staff who labored to put out fires and take the china out of the room before the elephant breaks it, he would have constantly been all over the news. Mr "this is how we do it in Silicon valley" or "I will distribute T-Shirts and soccer balls now to improve USA's image". Tsk Tsk Tsk. Hopefully Kaplan will be less of a demagogue and will not try to impose his Minnesota vision of right and wrong.
06/08/09

Sacha said:

New ambassador
His Excellency Thomas Thomas Riley whom I personally know is a fine gentleman, and represented the US well. I do not know on what Germelou based his opinion of him to state that his work was "a true catastrophe" - a very strong term thrown like an incendiary bomb without explanation.

Even though I do not know Mr. Kaplan, I hope this Jewish US Ambassador honors US fundamental values, Moroccan values, and supports Israel's safety in the years to come.
06/03/09

Germelou said:

Iyeh
Rudy, Hope Kaplan will do a better job that his predecessor who was a true catastrophe. yes Morocco is a world away from Middle eastern conflicts but no one in the world like to see his people being slaughtered and abused. Israel has tried everyone's patience and has not valued friendship or extended hands coming from Morocco or others. It is big time that leaders such as you clean up your house and deal with Netanyahoo and other yahoos who are determined to keep the Palestinians under the yoke of daily injustice and humiliation. Think about the kids man! While Morocco and its kings as you put it, Moroccan jews are Moroccan first and foremost and as such the rest of us are expecting them to play a positive role in making sure palestinians are free pronto. I am not sure we always put US-Morocco relations right next to its relationship with Israel as if to say unless you continue keeping quite, we could ruin your relationship with the US. Things have changed Rudy. Duse, do what you can to control your yahoos, Netan or others first
05/29/09

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