The Jewish Agency denied a news service report today that substantial numbers of Moroccan Jews left Israel last year to return to Morocco. Yehuda Dominitz, deputy director of the Agency’s immigration and absorption department, claimed that not a single Jew emigrated from Israel to Morocco last year. Dominitz recalled similar reports last year of a large-scale departure of Moroccan Jews. He said an investigation showed that only eight families left, two of which subsequently returned to Israel.
The Associated Press story was based on an interview with a person identified as Moris. Simon who said he immigrated to Israel in 1972 but left three years later. He claimed that hundreds of other Moroccan Jews had also returned to their country of origin. But according to the Jewish Agency, there is no record of a Moris Simon having immigrated to Israel from Morocco at any time since 1970.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
