New Anti-jewish Riot in Morocco; 15 Jews Injured; Stalls Wrecked

Fifteen Jews were injured, nine of them seriously, when Moslem mobs attacked Jewish stalls yesterday at the Tamelet country market, near Marrakesh. The nine were taken to a hospital.

The attacks were originally directed against two policemen who attempted to prevent two Moslems from collecting funds at the market for Nationalist propaganda purposes. When the policemen retreated to call for reinforcements, the mob turned in full fury against the Jewish merchants, stoning them and destroying their stalls.

The headquarters of the Joint Distribution Committee issued today a summary of reports by two of its staff members who visited Mazagan, Safi, Oued Zem and Ouezzane–the four communities in which Jews were involved during the rioting of Moslem nationalists nearly three weeks ago. The two JDC men visited the communities on the heels of the rioting. Their reports established that since August 19, when the riots started, four Jews were killed, three of them in the town of Oued Zem and the fourth in the town of Boujad, 15 miles away. In addition, four Jews were seriously wounded and five injured slightly.

In Mazagan, where 2,700 Jews reside, about 2,000 lived in the Jewish quarter and 700 in the European section. When the rioting began, about 500 Jews were taken from the Jewish section and sheltered by Jews living in the European part of the town, while 1,500 moved into the municipal gymnasium. Twenty-six houses in the Jewish quarter were completely burnt and there was much pillaging. The JDC immediately sent five tons of food, as well as a large quantity of blankets. At the same time, the OSE, Jewish medical organization, sent a nursing staff and medical supplies. The government made an emergency grant of 1,100,000 francs.

In Safi, some 500 Jews were evacuated from the Jewish section. Moroccan Jewish communities sent a check for 200,000 francs and the JDC provided an additional 100,000 francs, plus a supply of milk, sugar, cheese and other commodities. Considerable damage was done to a number of Jewish homes and stores.

In Oued Zem, where Europeans, Jews and Arabs live next to each other, the Jewish population is only 450. In addition to the three killed, ten stores belonging to Jews were pillaged and seven homes burnt. The Council of Jewish Communities sent a check for 200,000 francs and the JDC made another 200,000 francs available for immediate relief. In addition, the civil authorities gave 915,000 francs to ten families whose possessions were entirely destroyed.

In the immediate vicinity of Oued Zem, one Jew was killed in Boujad and ten Jewish houses partially or completely destroyed. Also in the area is the town of Khouribga, where there is no Jewish community but where there were five Jewish families in business. Their shops were ransacked together with stores belonging to Europeans. In Ouezzane seventy families, comprising 300 Jewish men, women and children who lived in the Arab quarter, were moved into the Jewish quarter for safety. Ten Jewish stores and 15 houses were burnt. The JDC immediately sent a check for 100,000 francs for emergency relief.