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| Morocco and Israel: Protest & Hailula |
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| AHMED TAIBI | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Morocco and Israel severed diplomatic relations in October of 2000 when their respective liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv were closed. However, unofficial political, economic, and non-conventional military contacts subsisted. There have been no official communiqués from the governments of Morocco and Israel on the subject. Israeli news outlets, however, have been reporting with added frequency on the growing economic and cultural relations between the two countries. Last month, the Moroccan defense attaché attended the farewell party of Israel’s military attaché to the U. S. Major-General Benny Gantz who, in July 2006, led Israeli ground forces into Lebanon; According to Sam Ben Chetrit, chairman of the World Federation of Moroccan Jewry, Mohammed VI hosted, two months ago, a high-ranking delegation from Israel which included Knesset members and community leaders. American and European journalists known to be advocates of Israel’s agenda have recently been writing overly favorable articles about Morocco in which they extolled its laicism, economic development, and advance toward democracy. As protesters were chanting anti-Israeli slogans and burning the Israeli flag in downtown Rabat, thousands of Jews from around the world, to include Israel, were gathered in Essaouira in a Hailula pilgrimage to the shrine of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, a Jewish saint. For that occasion, the mayor of Essaouira, Nabil Kharoubi, hosted Jewish dignitaries in an official reception attended by representatives from the local government and political parties. The reception included a joint prayer. Similar Jewish pilgrimages to the shrine of Abraham Ben Zmirro, in Safi, and others throughout Morocco have been taking place since the eighties and constitute a substantial source of revenue to Morocco’s tourism industry. Last year, more than eighty organized groups travelled to Morocco to celebrate Sukkot. With this year’s Jewish high holiday season approaching, thousands of Israelis plan on celebrating Rosh Hashana, September 18, and Sukkot, October 2, in Morocco. To tap into this market, Yambateva, one of Israel’s largest travel agencies, has announced its merger with Maroc Tours and anticipates opening its local offices in Marrakesh. The offices will be staffed by locally employed personnel and managed by Yambateva envoy David Edri. Heeding U. S. President Barack Obama’s call for greater Arab openness toward Israel, Morocco is reported to be willing to grant a blanket airspace clearance to Israel’s
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laraki
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... omar israel did help morocco in the sahara war. and now about this news i from morocco and i say:ok lets reoping the office in rabat and make bew ties whit israel no killing more no attacks on gaza no attacks on israel its time to make a end of hate and war we make now a new begin |
Ben Shalom
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... Omar, Don't fool yourself about algeria-Morocco are brothers bla bla bla. That 's a bunch of Bologna. Algeria is trying its best to screw Morocco and many times they are succeeding. They are supporting the Polisario which incidentally Israel does not recognize. The king of Morocco God Bless him extended his to hand on several occasions to Bouteflika to start a new beginning, What was Boutelika's response? NO. Is this brotherhood or sisterhood? Algeria is financing the enemies of Morocco all over the globe to prevent Morocco from making any progress and you call this Political differences? Algeria has thrown Moroccans out and destroy their livelihood and you call this Political differences? Algeria made it their national security priority to destroy the monarchy and you call this Political differences? Algeria is blocking every UN resolutions to settle the Sahara issue and you call this Political differences? Israel helped Morocco build the Wall the forced the Polisario to accept the cease fire and all you could come up with is some sort of stupid article from some dumb conservative Israeli dude? Israelis and American jews always intervene to lobby for Morocco in the US congress and that's not not good enough for you because we are jews? Saudi Arabia helps Morocco too , do you resist that help too? Israel has been good to Morocco and Morocco has been very good to the Jews under this great Monarchy. Many Moroccans or Arabs in general mix Palestine and Morocco, and they confuse things. I am one of the majority of Israelis who think that Israel should give back the occupied territories. The Arabs in return will have to guarantee not to repeat what they have done 1967. The Arabs leaders should also stop using the Palestinian issue to abuse their own subjects and take advantage of them to create suicide bombers . |
Omar
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...Ben Shalom said: Let me ask you a question, Have ever heard Israel saying the Sahara is not Moroccan? Michael Freund who previously served as Deputy Director of Communications & Policy Planning in the Israeli Prime Minister´s Office under former premier Benjamin Netanyahu said: "the European Union and much of the mainstream Western press are apparently too busy scolding Israel for building a few apartments in its capital city to pay much attention to Morocco's misdeeds ... Morocco invaded and claimed the territory as its own, denying the area's residents, referred to as Sahrawis, the fundamental right to freedom and self-determination ... rather than standing up to Morocco for its abuses, the world has largely chosen to ignore them ... Of course I don't mean to suggest that Israel's policies are comparable to those of Morocco, for the simple reason that I view our presence in the territories as historically just and eminently moral, while Rabat is simply engaging in a lusty land grab." Link to jerusalem post: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/S...e/ShowFull A simple search on this board reveals a lot about you Mr Ben Shalom, with all the false praises that you reserve for Morocco and its monarchy, the only times you had any input on this board was when Israel was mentioned. The Algerians and the Moroccans may have their political differences, but at the end of the day they all love and respect one another in a way that you cannot comprehend. Don't think for one moment that I have anything against Jews, The Zionists on the other have alienated the world's population. |
Cherkawi
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Screw the Palestinians If palestinians wants peace they should get it decades ago, it's their government who wanted problems to be going as long as they get a lot of money in their pockets and as for the palestinians, I feel sorry for them. I have a lot of Israeli friends here in California, they even have Moroccan last names, they could change it to Sharon or Netanyahu but they kept their Moroccan last name. They are very proud Moroccans even though they are like the second generation or third, they speak fluent Moroccan dialect and they still keep their roots to Morocco. I saw from them nothing but AL Khayr. Not all the Jewish people are bad and not all Arabs are bad. They are good people in both sides. So, stop your fanatic thinking of Jewish as no good people and they deserve to die, this is all non sense. Look at your Arab, Muslim brothers as Algeria and Lybia and what they are doing to Moroccans!!!!!! I am sure that if Morocco asks Israel for any favor they will be very glad to do it, and I am talking about Military Actions against anyone who tries to mess with Morocco and I am sure all other Arab states if they were asked by Morocco to be involved, I bet you that no one will give a shit and it happens Spain when it comes to the Island of Leila. So, wise up.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Mr. Salam
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Mr. Shalom Mr. Shalom: Extremists or extremis exist in just about any religion including Judaism. We can talk about Muslim extremism but we an also talk about Jewish Extremism. It is not only Muslim extremists who take issue with Israel. Many many very moderate Muslims as well as non-Muslims, heck, even some of Jewish faith take issue with Israel. The issue here is neither Judaism nor Israel per se, but the latter’s treatment of the Palestinians which by the way contributes greatly to the creations of Muslim extremists and to the sympathy many in the Muslim/Arab worlds may have for them. Bin Laden always talked about Palestine since day one, so let us make sure we are clear about that. Let us also be clear that Bin Laden is to be condemned in the strongest sense of the term. His methods are hideous and barbaric. My point is that Judaism is partly a victim of Israel’s behavior towards the Arabs/Muslims in general and the Palestinians in particular. |
Ben Shalom
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Algerian media treats Morocco as a storage of children for organ extraction to be sent to Israel Morocco has its hands full these days, from on side there is the radicals from the other side they have to deal with the Algerian outrageous propaganda. Here see for yourself: "In a recent report, Algeria's Al-Khabar newspaper informed its readers that gangs paid by these shadowy Jews are currently roaming the streets and abducting young children. The children are then sent to Morocco and there sold to Israeli and American Jews, who then harvest their organs to sell in Israel and the US. The story cited the head of the Algerian National Committee for the Development of Health Research, a Dr. Mustafa Khayatti, who insisted that the harvesting of organs from Arabs by Jews is happening across the Middle East." |
Morocco 101
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There are all kind of Moroccans! There are all kind of Moroccans! http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804571092&pagename=JPArticle/ShowFull |
Ben Shalom
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... The Algerians are lobbying/paying the Russians news media to spread false rumors about Morocco in their front page: http://english.pravda.ru/world...tsahara-0 Instead of bashing the Jews how about using all that energy and try to counter the Algerian propaganda machine? When I last checked, Israel has been very helpful to Morocco and the Algerians are trying their best to get the world to say that the sahara is not Moroccan and that Morocco is torturing the Saharans. My fellow Moroccans, wake up! wake up! it is 2009 and soon 2010. Let me ask you a question, Have ever heard Israel saying the Sahara is not Moroccan? Of course there will always be that someone who would say, this jewish dude wants the Algerians and the Moroccan to hate each other, I said, read the Algerian/Moroccan news media and you see for yourself. They don't need me. They have been at it for 34 years and counting. |
Zaki
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Enough of hypocrisy and naive political correcteness It is stupid for Moroccan to start feuding and showing their anti-jewish diatribes because of the Palestiniens. Palestine is 5 thousand miles away. This guy Soufiani has nothing do but find an excuse to show his anti-jewish feelings by reverting to Palestinian problem and odored dhimmitude towards non-muslim... Average Moroccans have not enough to eat and not enough shelter nor education and all what Soufiani thinks about is to show his anger against Israel just because of some angry war mongering Palestinians. As a Moroccan, I do know why should we care about these Palestinians (we have been supporting them with money, resources, and ideology and at every turn they goof off- the leaders are thugs and des "bons a rien") and they have had all these opportunities to make peace and build a society, instead they want us to feel for their misery and desperate lives - What miserable life? .... I feel more compassion for my fellow Moroccans in the bleds and douars who lead a miserable life in the hands of the thugs and tribal leaders who want to put them down, than with militant Palestinians who have arms and guns and cannot even shoot straight and want to liberate everything yet they cannot even run a sewage system that can take care of their excrements and used water.... I say to the Palestinians "stop screaming we are victims, no one is listening " and I say to the Soufani Moroccans "Stop crying for a jewish conspiracy and half-baked naive devotion to the so-called palestinian cause, because if there is no cause, the anti-jewish hatred would still try to invent a pseudo-cause" |
Ben Shalom
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... If I were you, I would stop spreading rumors. Israel allow all Arabs to travel to Israel and especially Moroccans. Here is the consulate web site to check for yourself. http://www.israeliconsulatela.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=120&lang=en Islamists are big problem for Morocco not for Israel. Israel knows how defend itself against the polygamists. Islamic radicals are the ones who are causing death and distractions all over North Africa, Ask your Algerian neighbors, or the families of the people who were enjoying their dinner at the Spanish restaurant in Casablanca. This is not labeling, this is hardcore truth, every month, the vigilant Moroccan authorities are arresting people who want to harm the stability of Morocco. As a matter of fact it is the islamists who are using Israel to take control a peaceful country like Morocco. Readers are no longer stupid or simple consumers of misguided information, we now live in a twitter world. I don't agree when people defend someone's bad actions for the love of their country. In this case the islamists. You can help your country by exposing their its flaws not by hiding it under the carpet. When those flaws are exposed, the people in charge take corrective actions to keep their job in the era of Mohammed VI. The king Morocco is trying to hold everyone responsible and he should be encouraged not the ones who want to cause harm to the beautiful country of Morocco. Last but not least. Islam as I know it is a peaceful religion, the name Islam is derived from peace, it is the people that I mentioned above that give bad name to Islam. Osama this morning released threatening the world. Is this something you are proud if? Here is what he said "From the beginning, we have stated many times ... that the cause of our disagreement with you is your support of your allies, the Israelis, who are occupying our land in Palestine. Your stance along with some other grievances are what led us to carry out the events of 9/11." If you remember when Osama started his killing spree, he never mentioned Israel, now he is using the word Israel in all his messages to get people like you to sympathize with wrong doing. Got it? or do you need a Jew like me to tell you. Thank you very much. |
Morocco and Isreal
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... Ben Shalom, The article was not meant to stir trouble. Isreal wants to whole world to cater to its needs and constantly refuse to do its part. We arabs especially Moroccans are not allowed in Isreal let alone be treated nice why should the Moroccans go out of their way to welcome Isrealis. Read I say Isrealis and not jews because I know the difference. Everyone who speaks up against Isreal and its treatement of the palestinians gets quickly labeled Islamist so that they quickly be silenced. Look the treatement talked about should not be applied till Isreal is willing to reciprocate. The article is very clear and has a very obvious point why should we be nice to people who clearly hate us. |
pompon
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... ALGERIA REJECTS CENSUS FOR SAHRAWI REFUGEES Algeria is refusing to comply with a request by the United Nations Refugee Agency to survey the Sahrawi refugees in its territory despite allegations their numbers have been exaggerated. The Algerian government is refusing to comply with a request by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to hold a census among Sahrawi refugees in camps in Tindouf, in eastern Algeria. During a visit to the Moroccan capital, Rabat, over the weekend, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said Algeria asked to increase humanitarian aid for the refugees, but is refusing to hold a census in Tindouf, to establish their numbers. Saharawi refugees started arriving in Algeria in the mid-seventies. The camps, a complex of four main sites and several satellite camps, are run by the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi rebel movement, and are reliant on aid from the UNHCR and Algeria. Dr. Jack Kalpakian, a political scientist from Al-Akhawayn University in Morocco said Algeria and the Polisario Front have political motives in exaggerating the figures. “Algeria and the Polisario claim a much higher number of refugees than what’s really in the camps,” he told The Media Line. “We really don’t know how much lower the number is, maybe it’s slightly lower or maybe it’s a lot lower. But the camps can’t hold the numbers they are claiming.” This way, he said, in a future referendum over the independence of Western Sahara, they can “stuff the voter lists” so that more people will be allowed to participate in the referendum, and vote in favor of independence. A U.N organized referendum on the territory’s final status has been repeatedly postponed. Ahmadi Ould Sweilem, a former Polisario leader, said there was also a monetary motive behind skewing the refugee numbers, he told a Moroccan news outlet. The Polisario claims there are 160,000 refugees when in fact there are no more than 50,000, he told the Moroccan news agency MAP. The hidden agenda is to receive more humanitarian aid, and spend the extra money on trade with neighboring countries, he said. Tindouf is a district located some 1,800 kilometers southwest of the Algerian capital Algiers. Human Rights Watch recently expressed concern about the situation in the camps, saying the people living there were not free to express political opinions opposed to those of the Polisario. The UNHCR says the situation of the refugees there remains daunting, with most of them living in “harsh climatic conditions” and totally dependant on international aid. As to Sahrawis living in Western Sahara, which is under Moroccan control, HRW said Moroccan authorities barred most activities they considered advocacy for an independent Western Sahara, invoking a Moroccan law, which criminalizes attacks on the country’s “territorial integrity.” The Polisario says there are some 165,000 Sahrawis living in camps in Tindouf, although the UNHCR provides protection and assistance to some 90,000. “We got indications from Algeria that this aid is not enough,” Guterres said in Rabat, after visiting camps in Tindouf last Wednesday, “and we stressed the urgency of holding a census.” He added that Algeria did not agree to this request and that the UNHCR would not change its estimate of refugee numbers. Guterres’ visit to Tindouf last week was the first visit of a high commissioner since 1976. Morocco has a long-standing conflict with the Polisario Front over the disputed Western Sahara. The area sits between Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Atlantic and is one of the world’s most inhospitable environments. Morocco virtually annexed the northern two thirds of Western Sahara in 1976 and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979 after Mauritania withdrew. Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved. A guerilla war between the Polisario Front and the Moroccan army ended with a U.N brokered cease-fire, which has been in place since 1991, but both sides still maintain their claims to the area. The Polisario maintains a government-in-exile of what it calls the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed Abdel Aziz. Several states have extended diplomatic relations to the SADR represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. By Rachelle Kliger on Sunday, September 13, 2009 |
Ben Shalom
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... What's your point? this is all news that if you googled the word " Morocco" in the last few weeks, you would have read what you mentioned above. Is opening a travel agency owned by a Jewish dude big news? Jews have been visiting their shrines for ages and they were always received by Moroccan dignitaries and government officials. If your intention is to get the readers to be upset about Morocco, this is not going to work because everything you have said is very well known since the era of Hassan II and more so during M6 God bless him. Morocco is not Iran, Syria, or Saudi Arabia. Morocco has and will always have ties with Israel, No one can break these ties not even the ones burning the Israeli flags. When was the last time you saw an Israeli burning a Moroccan flag? The islamists in Morocco like to use Israel to advance their agenda and that did not bear any fruit, No one trusts these bigamists/islamists anyway, Every Moroccan knows that Islamists are all talk but when it comes to delivering, they never and will never do because they are oppressors and women abusers. God Bless M6 and extend his life to make Morocco better, stronger and free er. |
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