Archives of Morocco, Israel State Archives Sign MoU

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Archives of Morocco and the Israel State Archives (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Archives of Morocco and the Israel State Archives (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Archives of Morocco, Israel State Archives Sign MoU

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Archives of Morocco and the Israel State Archives (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Archives of Morocco and the Israel State Archives (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Archives of Morocco and the Israel State Archives signed in Rabat on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at preserving the Jewish-Moroccan memory and heritage.

The director of the Archives of Morocco, Jamaa Baida, and the head of the Israel State Archives, Ruth Avramovitz, signed the MoU. Avramovitz is visiting Morocco at the head of an official delegation.

The agreement will enrich the documentary collections of the two institutions and promote the sharing of expertise in all archives-related fields.

Speaking at the event, Baida stressed that the partnership between the Archives of Morocco and the Israel State Archives results from a lengthy consultation process under excellent auspices.

He noted that it comes after Israel recognized the Sahara, which is "a major event highly appreciated by King Mohammed VI and all the living forces of the Moroccan Nation."

The official explained that the cooperation between Morocco and Israel would make it possible to fill specific gaps noted in the archives relating to Moroccan Judaism worldwide.

Archives of Morocco has deployed "much effort for the reappropriation of this part of the History of Morocco, which was scratched, at a given moment in history, under the effect of geopolitical tensions or, sometimes, by simple negligence," Baida was quoted by Maghreb Arabe Press (MAP) as saying.

He underlined that the documentary fund relating to the Jewish-Moroccan memory comes from three primary sources: the diplomatic Archives Center of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Paris-based Shoah Memorial, and the Universal Israelite Alliance, which contains millions of archives.

He explained that the documentary resources, which shed light on various aspects of the daily life of Jewish Moroccans in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the cordial ties they maintained with their Muslim compatriots, are a means of reconciling Moroccans with their history and their plural identity, whose Hebrew tributary has been enshrined in the Constitution.

Speaking on this occasion, Avramovitz was delighted with the "warm and unforgettable welcome" she received on her first visit to Morocco.

She stressed that the MoU signed with the Moroccan Archives constitutes "the first milestone of a solid cooperation for the preservation of the common memory and the dissemination of knowledge to build a better world."

Speaking to MAP, the Israeli official expressed her desire to "know more about Morocco, its history, its culture, and its population."

She stressed that under the agreement, the Israel State Archives, rich in hundreds of millions of documentary resources, puts its collections and know-how at the service of rapprochement and mutual knowledge between the Moroccan and Israeli peoples.

She explained that new technologies are crucial in this partnership, adding that Israel intends to share with Morocco its experience using artificial intelligence to optimize archives management.

The signing ceremony included a screening of a documentary film retracing the career of the eminent historian Haim Zafrani, a specialist in Moroccan Judaism.

Avramovitz will visit the Museum of Finery in the Oudayas and the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat.



US Shifts $100 Million in Military Aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon to Bolster Ceasefire

Lebanese soldiers drive in Qana, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, southern Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Lebanese soldiers drive in Qana, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, southern Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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US Shifts $100 Million in Military Aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon to Bolster Ceasefire

Lebanese soldiers drive in Qana, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, southern Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Lebanese soldiers drive in Qana, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, southern Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)

The Biden administration in its final days is shifting more than $100 million in military aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon as it tries to bolster a ceasefire agreement it helped mediate between Israel and Hezbollah.
In separate notices sent to Congress, the State Department said it was moving $95 million in military assistance intended for Egypt and $7.5 million for Israel toward supporting the Lebanese army and its government. The notices were dated Jan. 3 and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Most of the money will go to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which have a critical role in standing up the ceasefire that was agreed to in November following an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah that battered much of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months.
It is intended to help the LAF deploy in the south of the country and supplement the role of the UN peacekeeping mission patrolling the so-called Blue Line, which has separated Israel and Lebanon since the end of a monthlong Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.
“Successful implementation (of the ceasefire) will require an empowered LAF, which will need robust assistance from the United States and other partners,” the State Department said in the notices, both of which used nearly identical language to explain the funding shifts.
Both Israel and Hezbollah agreed to pull their forces out of southern Lebanon before the end of January, with compliance to be overseen by the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.
“US security assistance to the LAF increases its capacity as the country’s only legitimate military force and defender of Lebanon’s territorial integrity, enables the LAF to prevent potential destabilization from ISIS and other terrorist groups, and enables the LAF to provide security both for the Lebanese people and for US personnel,” the State Department said.
Pro-Israel members of Congress and others have in the past complained about any diversion of US assistance to Israel, although it was not immediately clear if there would be objections to such a small amount of shifted money.
At the same time, some of those who have been forceful advocates of Israel and critics of US assistance to the Lebanese military have often complained that it has been infiltrated by Hezbollah. The notices rejected that claim.
“US support to the LAF reinforces the LAF as an important institutional counterweight to Hezbollah, which receives weapons, training, and financial support from Iran,” the State Department said. “The LAF continues to be an independent, non-sectarian institution in Lebanon, and is respected across all sectors.”
In a third notice, also sent to Congress on Jan. 3, the department said it was going to provide $15 million to Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces to ensure that they become the primary law enforcement entity in the country and assist the LAF in controlling areas in the south.
That money will primarily be used to rebuild police stations, improve radio communications and purchase vehicles, the notice said.
The third notice also informed lawmakers that the administration would provide $3.06 million to the Palestinian Authority police to support its operations in the West Bank and $2.5 million to Jordan's Public Security Directorate to support its response to public demonstrations.