The European Union has canceled a €3 million grant for projects in Morocco aimed at preserving Moroccan Jewish heritage, just a few days after the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war, according to an Israel Hayom media report.
The call for proposals for the grant was first issued in September 2023. Moroccan Jewish organizations submitted their applications in December, and by April, several initiatives had passed the first stage of the selection process.
Full proposals were submitted in June, only for “the organizers to later learn that the entire program had been scrapped without any explanation.”
“Sir, thank you for submitting a full proposal for the call for projects. I regret to inform you that the decision has been made to cancel the call you participated in. I invite you to monitor future announcements for other funding opportunities,” reads a copy of the rejection letter, written in French.
Citing sources in Morocco, the Israeli media reported that the EU’s decision is linked to the war and shifting European positions, stressing that “the projects were solely focused on preserving the legacy of Moroccan Jews and had no connection to either Israel or the conflict.”
These included restoration of centuries-old cemeteries, cultural projects, historical research, and efforts to highlight the shared Jewish-Muslim heritage that existed long before the founding of the State of Israel.
“The timing was not neutral,” one said. “It followed the military conflict and changing European positions regarding Israel and the Palestinians. The message seems to be: Jewish equals political, and political equals unacceptable,” Moroccan sources told Hayom.
The same sources criticized the EU’s move as a reduction of Moroccan-Jewish identity to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, which they claim is rooted in historical ignorance and racism.
“This punishes communities for a geopolitical reality they didn’t create and can’t control,” said one source to Israel Hayom. “It’s not policy—it’s fallout. And it comes at the expense of cultural preservation, truth, and justice.”
The Moroccan Jewish community, despite some initial hesitation due to the politically sensitive nature of the topic, has unequivocally condemned the events in Gaza, particularly Rafah, calling them a real shock that cannot be met with silence.
Jackie Kadoch, head of the Moroccan Jewish community in Marrakech-Safi, asserted that this condemnation is political, not religious or antisemitic, and emphasize that not all Jews should be implicated in the conflict’s devastating outcomes, urging against a “new civilizational war.”
He fully supports Morocco’s official stance for an immediate ceasefire and compliance with international court demands to halt military operations in Rafah, as the war has gone beyond acceptable limits.
Souzan Abitan, a Moroccan Jewish woman and president of the International Association of Moroccans for Tolerance, previously called for an immediate halt to military operations targeting civilians in crowded refugee camps filled with innocent people and children.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.