«There was never any persecution» of Moroccan Jews, Rabat UN envoy says during Hannukah lighting ceremony

Morocco’s Ambassador to the United Nations Omar Hilale attended, Thursday, a ceremony held by Israel’s UN Mission and the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy.

«We are very proud that in the history of Morocco, there was never any persecution of Jewish people. They were just… part of our society», Omar Hilale said during the Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony.

Together with his Israeli counterpart Gilad Erdan, Hilale participated in lighting the eighth and final Hanukkah candle. His participation «should not be seen as a surprise or as an extraordinary image», said Hilale.

«We are very happy to be sending another signal of the commitment of Morocco to what Hanukkah represents — the end of the darkness… the beginning of the light», Hilale added.

During the same event, Erdan said that the normalization agreement «fulfills the dream of many Israelis of Moroccan heritage who remain proud of their roots and have a great love for the country».

«By embracing our differences rather than viewing them as a threat, we have created new incredible opportunities for the future», Erdan said.

The Hanukkah event included virtual messages from the Emirati and Bahraini ambassadors, along with the UN envoys of for the US, India, Australia, Albania, Guatemala and Rwanda.