The Jewish Agency took issue today with a statement issued in Casablanca, Morocco, by an unidentified “Jewish spokesman” who claimed that Moroccan Jews are looked down upon as second class citizens by European” Jews in Israel. A Jewish Agency spokesman here said.
“There has been no Jewish emigration to speak of from Morocco in the last few months. No more than a few hundred per month have recently left that country for Israel, because the assurances of the Moroccan authorities, which are duly appreciated by us, that Moroccan Jews would have freedom of emigration under the provisions of the United Nations Human Rights Charter have thus far not been implemented on the administrative level. Because of this circumstance, Jews have been trying to get out of Morocco on their own in whatever way possible.
“The allegation that Moroccan Jews in Israel are treated as second class citizens is amply refuted by the fact that over 100,000 Moroccan Jews who entered Israel preceding June, 1956, when large-scale immigration was stopped on the Moroccan administrative level have been absorbed by Israel and tens of thousands of them have already been provided with land and housing. A further refutation of the allegation of second class citizenship is the fact that Moroccan Jews now in Israel have only this week cabled an urgent appeal to the King of Morocco pleading that their kin be permitted.
“We have nothing but the highest regard for the King of Morocco, who is shortly to arrive in the United States, and trust the sincerity of his assurances that Moroccan Jews who wish to leave would be permitted to do so in accordance with the universal principle of freedom of movement. We regret that these assurances have not been, implemented on me administrative level. We trust that they will be.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
