
David Ochayon, a tour guide, and Yaakov Ochayon, a restaurant owner, both residents of Morocco, tell Israel National News about life for Israelis who come to Morocco.
"Since the Abraham Accords, many Israelis have come here, now that the way for them to do so is open. Here, Israelis feel at home," says David Ochayon.
The connection between Israel and Morocco goes back farther than many realize. "Jewish history here is exceptionally ancient," David adds. "In this country, there is evidence and testimonies of a history going back to the First Temple. In the south of the country, there is the grave of King Solomon's son. The mix of these, and the Jews expelled from Spain, make Morocco a welcoming place for tourists, with all the wonderful things that connect Israelis and the local Arab community."
Yaakov Ochayon tells that his catering business sees no shortage of Israeli celebrations. "We have weddings, bar mitzva celebrations, birthdays - sometimes people who just want good food, and, thank God, plenty of tourism."
David says that his tour groups are equally varied: "In the last half a year, we have visitors from all walks of life, from every kind of Jewish community, and they all enjoy it here. This is the only Arab country where a Jew can walk down the street freely while wearing a kippah (a skullcap traditionally worn by Jewish men), and this shows all the other tourists - from Europe, for instance - that if a Jew can walk around here, dressed as a Jew, then there is no safer country for tourism than Morocco."
"King Mohammed VI, like his father and grandfather, is known to immensely respect and honor the Jewish community. Several members of the Jewish community are quite close to the King. A law was recently passed that the Jewish culture, which is part of the Islamuc culture of Morocco, will be taught in schools."
"People here are very polite - they inherit it from their parents and grandparents, who have lived with the Jewish community for many years. Everyone respects one another, and lives together in harmony that gets passed down from one generation to the next."
David also tells about his sister, Israel Prize winner Miriam Perez. "Originally, she did not want to come visit, but after a certain personal event, she agreed to travel here, and soon after visited three times in quick succession. It is an honor to see her connecting to the country."