The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council today expressed its grief over the death of Morocco’s King Hassan II, a monarch who stood for peace and the reconciliation of peoples and religions. AIJAC also wishes to express its condolences to the King’s family and all the people of Morocco.

AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein issued the following statement on behalf of the Council:

"King Hassan was a visionary and courageous contributor to the search of Middle East peace. His crucial intervention and facilitating role helped bring about the breakthrough of the Camp David accords, and since then he has contributed repeatedly to peace between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinians.

"As he helped create the foundations for lasting peace, King Hassan will also be remembered for the way he reached out with special warmth to the Jews of Morocco, and acknowledged their special role in his Kingdom’s history. King Hassan was visionary in his self-declared intention to make his nation a ‘bridge’ between the Middle East and the West and between peoples of different faiths, and his success was a tribute to his determination and his character.

"The Australia-Israel & Jewish Affairs Council honours the memory of King Hassan and expresses our condolences to the people of Morocco and to the royal family. King Hassan was a leader who will always be remembered for his courage, his tolerance, his dignity and his belief in peace, and his passing is a profound loss for his country and the world."