The president of CRIF, Roger Cukierman, sent a letter to the Moroccan embassy concerning the boycott by the Moroccan Football team KACM of Israeli teams during the “World Cup of Pupils Football”. He deplores this decision “discriminatory and contrary to the spirit of sport”, highlighting the climate of induced anti-Semitism and the existing economic ties between Morocco and Israel.
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco
Paris
N° Q6/ 353 /5P.2/14 05 JUN 79%
DP | CAB –
DC FCAR/2-SG/4
Diffusion: Restricted
Transmission: Urgent Paris, June 5, 2014
Subject: Letter from the President of CRIF
I have the honor to bring to your attention that the President of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France {CRLF}, Mr. Roger Cukierman, sent a letter to this Mission regarding the boycott of the Moroccan football team “Kawkab Athletic Club of Marrakech” (IKACM) of the Israeli teams.
The President of the CRIF announced that as part of the “World Cup of Pupils Football”, the KACM refused to face one of the two Israeli teams present in this competition (Maccabi Haifa and Iapogl ‘el Aviv), on the decision of the High authorities of Moroccan football.
To this end, Mr. Cukierman wishes to express to the Moroccan authorities his regrets following “this discriminatory decision contrary to the spirit of sport”.
Please find attached a copy of the said letter.
The Ambassador of His Majesty the King
Chakib BENMOUSSA
———————————
Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France
S.E.M, Chakih Benmoussa
Ambassador of Morocco
at 3/5, rue Le Tasse
75116 Paris
Paris. June 3, 2014
Mr Ambassador,
From May 29 to June 1, the Pupil Football World Cup took place in Pomelin in Finistère. 88 teams of young talents aged 11 to 13 from France, Belgium, Morocco, Israel and Switzerland competed in respect of the universal values of sport.
These values are imbued with Living Together that our countries, France and Morocco, and our monotheistic religions are constantly developing and promoting.
-However, two days before the start of this sporting and festive event for our young people, the Moroccan team Kawkab Athletic Club of Marrakech decided to withdraw from the competition on the grounds that it had to face one of the two Israeli teams present in this competition: Maccabi Haifa and Hapogl Tel Aviv.
This discriminatory decision and contrary to the spirit of sport would have been taken by the highest authorities of Moroccan football.
Apart from the fact that it is common knowledge that these Israeli clubs have no animosity towards Israeli Arabs, this is a more than regrettable, incomprehensible and damaging fact, which has established “a climate of anti-Semitism » in this competition according to the media Afriquinfos which reported the facts.
Indeed, in the context of the current climate of hatred which is developing towards the Jewish community, which recently resulted in the assassination of four people at the Jewish Museum of Belgium, including two Israelis, because they were Jewish, the desire of the Marrakech club to boycott the Israeli club goes against Living Together and the rapprochement between our communities, and could only mislead all the young athletes present at this event by rejecting the ‘Other under pretext that he is Jewish and Israeli.
This decision is all the more incomprehensible given that trade between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel amounted to 18.8 million dollars in 2013, which demonstrates whether there was still a need for it. , that the ancestral ties between the Jews and Morocco, your country and the State of Israel wish to develop their economic ties notwithstanding foreign pressures.
Politics never goes well with sport and, even during major global sporting events such as the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup, a truce is systematically established between the belligerents. And as far as I know, Morocco is not at war with Israel.
This is why I can only regret the behavior of the Moroccan football team and ask you to kindly convey this disapproval to the authorities concerned.
I remain at your disposal to discuss it with you and ask you to accept, Mr. Ambassador, the expression of my high consideration.
Roger Cukierman
President
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