Historic Catastrophe : the Agony of Essaouira
Much of the available online literature provides a positive description of Jewish/Arabic settlement in Morocco, suggesting a substantial legacy of intra-racial tolerance, accord and cultural harmony. Indeed, Morocco seems to be advertising this positive relationship in its marketing and promotional campaigns to attract tourists from Arab, Christian and Jewish diasporas. The specific qualities that a Jewish workforce brought to Morocco ( including banking, usery, jewel-making and contacts with the West ) were considered invaluable to Morocco’s economic expansion and world trade by former sultans.
But is this portrayal true? What really was the relationship between the originally settled Jewish communities across the Mahgreb and Arab invaders? What agreements and covenants were agreed and signed to facilitate peace and ordered co-habitiation? What socio/economic/political factors influenced that relationship and the lifestyle of Jews under Arab rule? Does a better understanding of the experiences of Jews living in Arab controlled countries and under Arab dominion for almost a thousand years contribute to a broader understanding of the Arabic-Jewish debate?
