Amid ongoing protests in Morocco against normalization with Israel and continuous Israeli assaults in Gaza, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev arrived at Marrakech Airport on August 19. The minister's office framed the visit as a "special vacation" aimed at reviving religious rituals. However, an Israeli report by The Marker, the economic supplement of Haaretz, contextualized the visit within a complex web of commercial interests, electoral strategies, and political reckonings within the ruling Likud party.
Commercial Exploitation of Religious Sites
The report suggests that the commemoration of shared memories and the revival of Jewish saints' legacies have transformed in recent years into a growing competitive market. This exploitation operates under the premise that each new site receives a refreshed spiritual narrative. Such narratives foster a community, which in turn generates political power that is quickly leveraged for commercial gains. Consequently, every place of worship effectively becomes a revenue-generating property; thus, commemorating the past translates into business development in every sense of the term.
As the market within the occupied territories becomes saturated, attention has shifted abroad, particularly to Morocco, which boasts a vibrant scene of tombs attributed to what are referred to as "righteous Jewish saints." The report emphasizes that the spiritual returns pale in comparison to the establishment of relational networks, as Israelis flock to these sites not only to experience them but also to be seen by others.
The publication connects the influx of Israeli politicians and senior officials to Morocco with strong rumors of a market distribution scheme among stakeholders, where groups of party "vote brokers" have secured shares in future government contracts under the guise of participating in the "Hiloula" celebrations.
The Rabbi's Tomb in Agadir and Political Timing
The Israeli report highlights the tomb of Rabbi Khalifa Ben Malka, an 18th-century poet and religious figure, located in a recently modernized complex in Agadir, as one of the promising new sites in what it calls a "business" venture. It notes that the timing of Arkia Airlines' resumption of direct flights to Marrakech was not coincidental; rather, it coincided with the celebration of the Hiloula of Rabbi "Rechavam" (Rabbi Khalifa Ben Malka) on the third of the Hebrew month of Elul (last Sunday), with Minister Miri Regev leading the inaugural flight.
Furthermore, the report mentions that Regev did not travel alone on this "vacation" but was accompanied by a suspicious delegation comprising high-ranking officials and what are termed "influential election brokers." Among the notable travelers was Amit Sharaf, head of the Ashdod port workers' committee, who claimed his trip was entirely personal. The report reveals that Sharaf mobilized between 700 and 900 votes from port workers and their families in support of Regev during the Likud primaries, helping her secure the fourth position, in return for significant concessions from the minister, including additional docks for Ashdod port and the withdrawal of plans to privatize it.
Other names associated with vote-brokering were also mentioned, such as businessman and vote contractor Shimon Galam from Ashkelon, and Likud Central Committee member Finny Dluya. The chaotic and opportunistic nature of the trip was further underscored by the revelation that a prominent Israeli criminal named "Chico Bit Adah," linked to the Pardes Katz gang and associated with the notorious Geroushi family involved in organized crime, was also en route to attend the Hiloula in Agadir, but Moroccan authorities barred his entry.
Regev's office issued a justification stating that "attempting to politicize Jewish participation in a Moroccan Jewish Hiloula is absurd," while the Israeli report maintains that "the story is not politically charged but is purely business-oriented, which in itself is unsettling." The reopening of flights and the timing surrounding the Hiloula are laden with implications, particularly considering that the tomb of Rabbi Khalifa Ben Malka is a significant site that embodies a growing landscape of Jewish memory, heritage, and religious visitation in Morocco. The visit has sparked widespread protests and criticism from normalization opponents, expressing their discontent towards one of the prominent figures of Benjamin Netanyahu's government arriving in Morocco amidst the ongoing war against Gaza.
As reported by thevoice.ma.
