The Emergence of 'Little Jerusalem' in Morocco: A Cultural Settlement
Recent events in Morocco, particularly the performance of Jewish religious rituals in the historic "Bab Doukala" square of Marrakech, have sparked significant debate and controversy. This spectacle, which many see as a clear manifestation of cultural encroachment and normalization with Israel, raises critical questions about Morocco's relationship with the Israeli state and the potential infiltration of Zionist strategies into the cultural and geographical fabric of the kingdom. The reactions from various political and human rights circles suggest that these occurrences are not mere coincidences but rather indicative of a deeper, more systematic cultural settlement.
Warnings from the Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization
The video documenting the Jewish rituals in Marrakech quickly went viral, igniting widespread anger among local and human rights activists opposed to normalization with Israel. Ahmed Wihmane, the head of the Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization, characterized the scene at Bab Doukala not as a spontaneous event but as a "rehearsal" for a more extensive settlement project. He emphasized that the Zionist strategy fundamentally relies on "creating sanctity" around specific locations through rituals and prayers, drawing parallels to historical events in occupied Jerusalem, particularly the Moroccan Quarter, which was demolished and transformed into a "wailing wall" area. Wihmane warns that what is transpiring in Marrakech is part of a broader strategy to fabricate "holy land," linking Moroccan geography with the myths of "Little Jerusalem" in southern Morocco, particularly in the region of Ifrane. This, he argues, paves the way for a new reality of settlement disguised under cultural and religious pretenses.
Wihmane bolstered his warnings with presentations of documents and publications, including a special issue titled "Morocco: The Sacred Kingdom of the Children of Israel," highlighting alarming attempts to penetrate state mechanisms and public consciousness. He criticized the audacity of some individuals advocating for the renaming of streets commemorating national figures and Moroccan resistance heroes with names of Zionist personalities or soldiers in the Israeli army, viewing such actions as an attempt to erase national identity and distort collective memory.
In a similar vein, Maâin Lkahl, the Deputy Representative of the Sahrawi Republic to Ethiopia and the African Union, pointed out that the video circulating from Marrakech cannot be separated from a broader political context characterized by a long history of complicity and integration between Morocco and Israel. He described both as "twin rogue regimes" in nearly every aspect. According to Lkahl, what is presented today as a cultural or religious expression is, in reality, part of a normalization process that transcends symbolism to strategic domains, deepening Morocco's official involvement in human rights violations and genocide against the Palestinian people. He elaborated on this normalization trajectory, noting historical references in political and media literature about clandestine communication channels between Rabat and the Israeli state since the 1960s, particularly during King Hassan II's reign. Controversial issues include alleged intelligence cooperation, such as allowing the Mossad to access discussions during Arab summit meetings prior to the 1967 defeat, and collaboration between the Mossad and Moroccan intelligence to assassinate Moroccan leader Mehdi Ben Barka, among many others. These narratives confirm that the complicity between the two regimes is structural, historical, and ongoing.
As reported by elayem.news.
