Quiet Campaign Honors Erstwhile Morocco King
A quiet campaign is being forged to have the former King of Morocco named to Yad Vashems’s Righteous Among the Nations, which honors those non-Jews that put themselves at risk to help Jewish people during the Holocaust of World War II.
While no formal request has been put forward, the idea is being explored. Serge Berdugo, Moroccan Ambassador-At-Large and leader of Morocco’s Jewish community explained that it is a long, drawn out, and sometimes difficult process.
Robert Satloff, of the pro-Israel Washington Institute for Near East Policy, triggered the latest push on the issue. His book, Among the Righteous: Lost Stories From The Holocaust’s Long Reach Into Arab Lands, describes how the Jews were persecuted by some Arab countries during WWII. He tells of King Mohammed V’s positive role in helping the Jewish people. After the book was published Mr. Berdugo and others quietly approached Yad Vashem about honouring the late King.
Having a modern Arab leader named while there is turmoil in the Middle East would send a signal that relations between the Arab world and Israel are slowly getting better. Yad Vashem recognition would help Jerusalem show its determination to normalize its ties with Arab countries. Morocco could show its moderation in gaining support for its stand on the Western Sahara claims.
Morocco does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, but most likely would be among the first of Arab nations to do so if a genuine peace process develops. Moroccan Foreign Minister, Mohamed Benassia and his Israeli counterpart met in Paris last July. Morocco, also, attended the Annapolis Conference held in Maryland last month. While having no formal relations with Israel, Morocco does not support the Arab League boycott of Israel. Several times over the past years, Morocco has attempted to help the Israeli-Arab peace process with discreet diplomatic initiatives.
Yad Vashem has strict eligibility rules. Whether or not, King Mohammed V will meet the criteria is uncertain. Among those named, seventy are Muslims, mostly from the Balkan states and Turkey. One of the criteria is that the person put their own lives at risk to help the Jews.
Proving King Mohammed V’s life was in peril is tricky. Serge Berdugo says that king indeed did risk everything. During World War II, the pro-Nazi French authorities held sway in Morocco. The King’s quiet resistance campaign against the French was risking his own life. He manoeuvred to limit implementation of anti-Jewish laws sent down by the Vichy regime. A telegram found in the mid 1980s told of worsening relations between King Mohammed V and the French. He refused to distinguish among his subjects. He is said to have asked for yellow stars for him and his family to wear during this time.
Richard Prasquier, Yad Vashem’s rep in France doesn’t think King Mohammed V risked his life. Mr. Prasquier said that the King was never served with a official request to report to a Nazi death camp. Ahmed Benchemsi, editor of Tel Quel, published a story of forced labor camps for Jews from Europe in Morocco. At the time told in the story, France was in control of Morocco with the King’s powers greatly limited. Mr. Satloff told of the hardship in those camps. He relieves the King of responsibility in his Among the Righteous..
Satloff has explained that no Arabs have made it into the Yad Vashem because of the collective unwillingness in Arab countries to be perceived as a cause for the creation of Israel. In order to respond to the Arab denial of the Holocaust, Mr. Satloff has nominated another Arab as well to the Yad Vashem. Khaled Abd al-Wahab, a Tunisian aristocrat hid a Jewish family. Tunisia was under direct Nazi rule at the time, while Morocco was under pro-Nazi France.
by Carole Morris
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January 15th, 2008 at 9:34 am
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