Casablanca, Morocco - A leader of Morocco's Jewish community on Wednesday condemned the "arrogant" killing by Israel of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, calling it "an act of bestiality" driven by state terrorism.
"The assassination of Sheikh Yassin is an act of bestiality, but worse still is the incredible arrogance of (Ariel) Sharon who claimed responsibility for the crime in the name of the war against terrorism," said Simon Levy, who is secretary general of Casablanca's Jewish community, in a statement.
"Is there any terrorism worse than state terrorism?" asked the Jewish community leader, accusing the United States of "implicitly justifying" the killing of Yassin and recalling that "Hamas is on the (US) list of terrorist organisations.
"Is the organisation which killed (former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak) Rabin on the list?" Levy asked.
"We reject terrorism in any form, wherever it may be and from whatever place of origin."
"Without a political solution (to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict), there will only be terror, extremism and terrorism," said Levy.
He also defended "the true, historic, civilising image of Judaism," which he called "the first revealed religion, which cast disgrace on murder."
Morocco's Jewish community, which once numbered more than 200 000 people, now consists of around 4 000 who live mainly in large cities such as Casablanca, itself the target of a terrorist attack in May last year, in which 45 people were killed.
