The Abraham Accords can inspire peace throughout the region, Moroccan Ambassador to Israel Abderrahim Beyyoudh said at an event for Israeli and Moroccan academics studying the customs of Moroccan Jewry.
The “vision” of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI is “to bring peace not only to our two countries, but to the whole region... so Morocco can play its historic role in lessening the differences and bringing people together, hopefully creating peace and security in the whole region, for the good of all,” Beyyoudh said.
Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan hosted a delegation from Morocco for the event titled “Culture and Hebrew Law in Morocco,” cosponsored by the Abraham Zagouri Center for Studies and Research on Hebrew Law and Bayt Dakira, the Jewish museum in Essaouira, Morocco, among others.
The ambassador said the conference was the first in-person one for Israelis and Moroccans since the countries reestablished diplomatic relations in December, expressing hope that it would pave the way for more such events in the future.
“The vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and his strategic decision to resume relations with Israel is why we are here today,” he said.
Beyyoudh pointed to the Moroccan royal family’s actions to protect Jews throughout the ages, included under the Vichy regime, and its more recent renovation of Jewish historic sites in the country.
“The list is very long and a lot has been done, from teaching Hebrew and fighting antisemitism to creating schools to study Jewish heritage in Morocco,” he stated.
Beyyoudh called for Israeli-Moroccan cooperation in maintaining the shared heritage of the two countries.
“I want your partnership with universities in Morocco, and we are here to help,” he said. “We can teach new generations to live in coexistence in a tolerant country, and they can learn from that and come up with genius ideas and move forward.”
Former MK Dr. Shimon Ohayon, head of the Dahan Center for Culture Society and Education in the Sephardic Heritage, introduced Beyyoudh, paying tribute to the “special relationship between the King of Morocco and the Jewish community.”
There are over a million Israelis of Moroccan descent, with more than 300,000 Jews emigrating from Morocco to Israel between 1948 and 1965. There are currently about 3,000 Jews living in Morocco.