Jews in Morocco
Before the war almost 200,000 thousand Jews live in the French occupied regions of Morocco. Contact between Jews and Muslims has generally speaking been good. This changes when the French army surrenders to Germany in 1940. Now France has a pro-German government and the French officials in Morocco have to obey that new government.
Treat the Jews well
Antisemitism in Morocco increases. Anti-Jewish legislation is enforced: Jews are not allowed to sell on markets, work for governmental institutions and not live anywhere they want. Sultan Mohammed V opposes these measures. He says: ‘I recognise all inhabitants as my children and that includes the Jews.’ The sultan asks everybody to treat the Jews well. However, he cannot prevent that hundreds of Jews are being fired.
Jewish refugees - From Europe to Morocco
During the war thousands of Jews flee from Europe to Morocco to reach the United States. They cross the Mediterranean to the Moroccan harbours of Casablanca and Tanger. Some refugees have been given travel documents from Jewish organisations that enable them to travel safely through Morocco.
Imprisoned
Jewish refugees without documents are arrested and imprisoned in camps together with other detainees. French soldiers guard the camps. The prisoners have to work for twelve hours on a stretch in the desert. They get little food and dirty water to drink. As a punishment they are beaten with sticks. Some are being tied up and thrown in a hole in the ground or in a cage with barbed wire under a hot, blistering sun. During the war Morocco has some twenty camps; Berguent, Settat and Boudenib are some of them.
