State Dept. Watches Fate of Jews in North Africa, Engel Says

The State Department is displaying an active interest in the situation of the Jews in Morocco and Tunisia, it was reported here today by Irving M. Engel, president of the American Jewish Committee, at a press conference at which he reported his impressions as a member of the special delegation which the AJC recently sent to North Africa.

Mr. Engel revealed that the delegation, which was composed of himself, Jacob Blaustein and Dr. John Slawson, conferred with the State Department following its return from North Africa. He also stated that the AJC was asked by the State Department to submit any further information it may receive on the situation of the Jews in Morocco and Tunisia.

Emphasizing that any outbreak of civil war among the moderate and extremist Moslem leaders in North Africa will endanger the position of the Jews there, especially in Morocco, Mr. Engel warned against “extravagant” propaganda by Jewish groups in this country and in Israel to present matters as if the Jews of North Africa are about to be annihilated. He admitted that danger exists for the Jews in Morocco, but said that the French authorities are watching the situation and that such danger does not exist, so far, in the larger cities.

Outlining the attitude of the American Jewish Committee toward the North African situation, Mr. Engel said that the AJC advocates the emigration to Israel only of those North African Jews who wish to do so. These Jews, he emphasized, should be permitted to transfer their property from Morocco, Tunis and Algiers. Those Jews who wish to remain where they now live must be given equal rights, which they do not now have, especially in Morocco where Jews compose the only minority group which does not enjoy citizenship status and are considered merely “protegees” of the local Moslem Sultan.

EXPLAINS DIFFICULTIES OF MOROCCAN JEWS; HOPES FOR NEW STATUS

The major obstacle to the granting of full legal equality to the 240,000 native Jews of Morocco is the fact that Morocco is now a theocratic state, Mr. Engel pointed out, in which religious and temporal powers are combined in one source of authority. This means, for example, the AJC leader explained, that the native Moroccan Jew is now judged by Moslem religious law, except in certain special cases dealing with marriage, divorce and inheritance–and Moslem religious law does not even recognize the oath of a Jew as being valid.

By law as well as custom, therefore, the Jew in Morocco is now discriminated against, Mr. Engel reported. He is excluded from positions in the Moslem government hierarchy, and from the Moroccan judiciary. “It is inconceivable to us that, in this 20th century, such a situation should be permitted to continue,” declared the AJC leader.

“Both as Jews and as U.S. citizens, interested in the promotion of democracy, it is our hope that Morocco will adopt a secular rather than theocratic form of government. If, however, Morocco is to continue to be organized largely into religious communities then the future reforms should guarantee equality for the different religious communities, including the Jewish one. Thus, the Jewish community ought to be represented on all government bodies, so it may have a voice in the shaping of the future,” Mr. Engel stated.