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Jews Killed in Morocco Riots; Raid on Jewish Quarter Repulsed

August 24, 1953
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An attempted raid by a column of Arab nationalists on the Jewish quarter in Rabat, Morocco, was successfully repulsed by French police, the Paris Radio said today. The announcement added that police had dispersed the crowd without casualties.

Heavily armed police stood guard outside a synagogue in Ouja, in Eastern Morocco, while funeral services were held for four Jews–including an 11-year-old girl–killed in rioting last week, it was reported here today. A Jewish-owned pharmacy was burned down. Ouja, which is located near Algeria, was the scene of a pogrom in 1948 when the Jewish quarter was devastated by a mob. Five Jews were killed and 30 injured at that time.

Although the new pro-French Sultan of Morocco is reported to be friendly towards the country’s 260,000 Jewish citizens, apprehension is still felt here over the possibility that the deposed nationalist Sultan might suddenly return and seize power again. It is generally believed that if the new Sultan remains in power, the Arab attitude towards the Jews here might improve.

For several years, the Joint Distribution Committee has been conducting extensive child-care and medical aid programs in behalf of some 75, 000 destitute Jews in Morocco, the vast majority of them children.

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