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Moroccan Government Suspends Paper Which Started Anti-jewish Campaign

February 24, 1961
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The Moroccan Government newspaper which was the originator of the recent press campaign against Moroccan Jews was ordered suspended today until further notice by Interior Minister Embarek Bekkai.

The newspaper, Al Fajr, launched the campaign at the time of the visit to Morocco of President Nasser of the United Arab Republic last month. The publication demanded that the Jews of Morocco be considered no longer as Moroccans but as a minority group. It was indicated that the suspension was partly in connection with the recent order of King Mohammed V lifting all restrictions on emigration for Moroccan Jews and partly because of political reasons.

The disappearance of the newspaper did not end the press campaign against Moroccan Jews, however. Al Oumal, the organ of the Istiqlal party, continued to brand all Moroccan Jews as Zionists with the declared goal of “arousing Moslem public opinion” against the Moroccan Jews.

Dr. Leon Benzaquen, former Jewish member of the Moroccan Cabinet who headed the Jewish delegation which was received last week by King Mohammed, was today elected a member of the Higher Council of Physicians in Morocco. He is the only Jewish member of the Council and was elected by a secret ballot. The Council now comprises 12 members, six of them Moslem and five French. The number of Jewish doctors is higher than that of Moslem physicians in Morocco.

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