Politicians to feast on moufleta during Mimouna

The holiday has become a day to pay tribute to the contribution of Moroccan immigrants.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Politicians from across the political spectrum will dine on the Moroccan pastry moufleta at celebrations of the Mimouna holiday after Pessah ends on Monday night.
Mimouna marks the beginning of spring and the return to eating hametz following Pessah. The holiday has become a day to pay tribute to the contribution of Moroccan immigrants and for politicians to be hosted by Moroccan political activists in their homes.
President Shimon Peres and Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) willbe guests of honor at the World Federation of Moroccan Jewry’s centralevent at the Jerusalem International Convention Center (BinyameiHa’uma). The federation decided to hold its event indoors after yearsof hosting outdoor events in periphery towns across the country.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar(Likud) will be in Or Akiva, and Industry, Trade and Labor MinisterBinyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) in Beit Shemesh and Netivot.
The number of invitations to Mimouna events has been seen as bellwetherof a politician’s popularity in his party. Minister-without-PortfolioYossi Peled (Likud) boasted over the weekend that he had been invitedto no less than 100 Mimouna events and that he would go to 10 of them.
Some lawmakers will host Mimouna celebrations in their homes, including Likud MK Tzion Pinyan in Tiberias.
But the most well-known MK of Moroccan descent, former defense ministerAmir Peretz (Labor), does not celebrate the holiday because it is theyahrzeit of his father.