Moroccan Jews in Israel Aspire to Make Morocco Part of Their Present and Future, Not Nostalgia from Past (Israeli Researcher)

Cairo - Jews of Moroccan origin living in Israel are enthusiastic not only to benefit from the opportunities offered by the resumption of relations between Morocco and Israel but to make the Kingdom part of their present and not just a nostalgic memory from the past, said researcher at Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policy, Einat Levi.  In a statement to MAP, the Israeli researcher of Moroccan origin, specializing in Moroccan-Israeli relations, stressed that this step offers Moroccan Jews more opportunities to discover their country, noting that Moroccan Jews living in Israel constitute the second largest Jewish community in the world with over a million people.  Moroccan Jews in Israel and Muslims in Morocco share a common nostalgia, which has given a strong impetus to the resumption of contacts between the two countries, she said, noting that national affiliation is strengthened with the possibility to visit the motherland in normal conditions and without anxiety. 

With no clear relationship, it was hard to think of visiting Morocco, she said, noting that things have changed today in a positive direction, making it more possible to lay solid groundwork for cooperation and exchange in all fields.  Israeli-Moroccan relations have always had the possibility of being further developed but the circumstances were not favorable, explained the Israeli researcher, adding that in light of the resumption of relations, the deep cultural ties uniting the two peoples are able to consolidate cooperation and open wider horizons.  She expressed the wish to see bilateral cooperation become a model and serve as a beacon of hope for a better future in a gloomy regional context.