AJC letter on Robert Elman visit to Morocco

Dear Aziz:

I’m writing to follow up on our recent discussions about AJC’s plans – with your kind encouragement – to visit Morocco in December. Please allow me to lay out our current hopes and requests.

First, and most basically: Our delegation of approximately 10 AJC Board members – led by AJC President Robert Elman – is scheduled to arrive in Casablanca on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 3:50 p.m. (from Tunis). We intend to head immediately to Rabat for two nights, then on Thursday, Dec. 16, drive to Fes for a night, and then on Friday head back to Casablanca for the weekend. Some of our group will head home on Saturday or Sunday; others (including myself) plan to spend at least a day or two in Marrakech.

I think you know precisely what and whom we should see. But I would like to formally request, on our delegation’s behalf, the possibility of an audience with His Majesty King Mohammed VI – to con- vey directly our appreciation for Morocco’s long friendship with the United States and with the Jewish people, and to gain His insights on the path forward toward Middle East peace. (Naturally, I would also like to thank His Majesty for the honor He so graciously bestowed on me last year.)

I hope it will be possible to arrange a number of meetings/receptions in Rabat – fully utilizing the entire span that we are in town, from late-afternoon Tuesday, Dec. 14, to Thursday morning, Dec. 14.

Naturally, I very much hope to meet with Taieb and with Yassine (whom I deeply regret missing in New York late last month), and with other government and political figures, and other individuals you deem appropriate. As always, we will hope to explore issues of regional peace and security, touching on the ongoing efforts to bolster Morocco’s economic and social infrastructure as it confronts extremism; the Kingdom’s trade and investment prospects; its social-development, renewable-energy, and educational achievements (with particular focus on the status of women); and its tradition of tolerance and diversity. Of course, we’ll want to devote due attention to the issue of the Western Sahara.

In Fes, I hope we can meet with the local governor and/or with business leaders and other civil society figures (and, of course, sightsee). In Casablanca, I will again seek to collaborate with Ahmed Charai on the sort of roundtable discussion we’ve had in the past, with political, business and media fig- ures – and perhaps also arrange a separate media discussion or two, in addition to a visit to the Hassan II Mosque. And, certainly, we’ll spend time with Serge and others in the Jewish community.

I look forward to discussing the above with you, at your convenience – and to another construc- tive and rewarding visit to your magnificent country. With warmest regards, I am,

Sincerely