The European Union cancelled a €3 million call for proposals to support preservation of Moroccan Jewish heritage initiatives four days after the Gaza war began, in a move sources in Morocco said was politically motivated, according to an Israel Hayom exclusive.
The call for proposals had been launched in September 2023, and community initiatives applied in December of that year. Several projects passed the first stage in April, and full proposals were submitted earlier this month. Applicants were then informed this week that the entire call had been cancelled without explanation.
According to the report, the targeted projects—none of which involved Israel—included preservation of centuries-old cemeteries, cultural programming, history education and study of pre-state Jewish-Muslim shared heritage.
Sources in Morocco stressed to Israel Hayom that “the projects had no link to the Gaza war, Zionism or political events, but were solely focused on preserving Moroccan Jewish culture.”
Jewish is political
Yet, according to those familiar with the matter, “the timing was not neutral. It followed the military confrontation and shifts in European positions on Israel and the Palestinians. The message is clear—Jewish is political, and political is unacceptable,” they said according to the report.
Community leaders in Morocco accused the EU of reducing Moroccan Jewish identity to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through historical ignorance and racism.
“This punishes communities for a geopolitical reality they did not create and cannot control. It is not policy; it is projection at the expense of cultural preservation, truth and justice,” the sources added.
According to the French-language rejection letter obtained by Israel Hayom, applicants were told: “Monsieur, thank you for submitting a full application to the above call. It is with great regret that I inform you that the call has been cancelled. I invite you to consult future calls for proposals.”