Welcome to Part 28 of our series examining the true history of Jewish life in Morocco, based on A Presence So Long by Nathan Weinstock. The Drift of Moroccan Nationalism: Theological Exclusivism Why did the emerging Moroccan nationalist movement turn violently hostile toward the country's indigenous Jewish minority? From its very inception, the movement defined itself not by civic territorial identity, but through a strict Pan-Arab and Islamic framework: • The Quranic Loyalty Oath: Recruits were required to swear allegiance upon the Quran, legally and structurally excluding all non-Muslims from membership. • Denouncing Emancipation: Leading nationalists - including Abdelkhalek Torres, Haj Abdeslam Bennouna, and Mekki Naciri - bitterly condemned French colonial authorities for granting any civil emancipation or legal elevation to Moroccan Jews. The Palestinian Link & Imported Antisemitism Moroccan nationalism forged direct ideological bonds with radical Palestinian leaders: • The Nablus Channel: Young Moroccan activists studied at the An-Najah school in Nablus under Izzat Darwaza, a close operative of Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. • Conspiracy Literature: Through these networks, virulent European antisemitic literature - specifically The Protocols of the Elders of Zion - was systematically introduced into Moroccan political discourse. The Axis Embrace & Radio Berlin With Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, fascist and Nazi rhetoric heavily penetrated nationalist ranks: • Preaching "Jewish Treachery": In 1934, prominent nationalist leader Allal al-Fassi publicly lectured worshippers on the alleged "treachery of the Jews." • Spanish Morocco as a Nazi Agitation Hub: In Tetouan, pro-Axis nationalists like Abdelkhalek Torres teamed up with Taqi al-Din al-Hilali (a former Arabic broadcaster for Radio Berlin) to broadcast open incitement, calling upon Muslims to "rise up against the Jews." The 1930s Hair-Trigger Pogroms This systematic ideological poison turned any trivial daily dispute into a pretext for mob violence: • Rabat (May 10, 1933): A brawl in the street spawned false rumors that a Jew had killed a Muslim. Rioting crowds shouted "Death to the Jews!" and immediately charged the Mellah to loot homes. • Meknes (1937 & 1939): In 1937, protests over French water diversion were instantly deflected onto the Jewish quarter, pillaging 43 Jewish merchants. In 1939, another minor quarrel ignited riots leaving 1 dead and 42 wounded. Long before modern regional conflicts escalated, Moroccan nationalism chose theological exclusion and ideological alignment with Axis fascism - ensuring that the indigenous Jewish minority would remain an eternal scapegoat. 📌 Part 29 drops tomorrow! Follow so you don't miss the next installment!