Moroccan king’s Jewish advisor to receive Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor
Andre Azoulay, the Jewish advisor to the King of Morocco, will receive the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, according to an announcement made by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday.
The highly-coveted prize is only awarded to individuals who have “made an extraordinary contribution to the State of Israel, the Jewish people and humanity.”
The 82-year-old Azoulay is a senior advisor to Moroccan King Mohammed VI and also served under the rule of the previous Moroccan royal, King Hassan II.
The Israeli Office of the President stressed that Azoulay made “an extraordinary contribution to the Jewish world and Moroccan Jewry and the State of Israel in cultivating and preserving relations with Morocco over the years, preserving Jewish heritage in Morocco and providing support and advice to Israeli leaders in their quest for peace in the Middle East.”
In 2020, Azoulay established the “Beit Dakhira” center in the attendance of the Moroccan king, which “serves as a meeting place for Muslims and Jews and even hosts artists and creators from Israel.”
Azulay is the father of French politician Audrey Azoulay, elected director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017.
Morocco and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. However, the Israeli presidency credited Azoulay for promoting peaceful Moroccan-Israeli relations years before those ties were formalized.
“His vision of establishing friendly and peaceful relations between Israel and Morocco was realized in the Abraham Accords and his influence is evident in every area of these relations,” read the statement from the Israeli president’s office.
Moroccan Jews in Israel and Morocco are a thriving and important bridge between the two countries. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have Moroccan Jewish heritage, including Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Minister of Transport Miri Regev and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
