The Knesset Education Committee approved an expansion of a proposed heritage day — originally for Moroccan Jewry alone — to include the Jewish communities of Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria. The bill, sponsored by MKs Michael Biton and Yinon Azulai, now heads to its final plenary votes. The date remains the 23rd of Tevet, marking the sinking of the immigrant ship Egoz.
The Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee has significantly broadened a proposed bill that would establish an annual national day commemorating the heritage of North African Jewish communities, committee sources said Monday evening.
Originally drafted as a Moroccan Jewish Heritage Day, the legislation — sponsored by MKs Michael Biton (National Unity) and Yinon Azulai (Shas) — was expanded during final-stage preparations to include the Jewish communities of Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria. The committee instructed that educational programs developed for the day will cover the full breadth of North African Jewish heritage, including liturgy, poetry, halachic tradition, and history.
The date for the annual commemoration remains the 23rd of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to the sinking of the immigrant ship Egoz in 1961, in which 44 Jews drowned while attempting to reach Israel. The bill now advances to its second and third readings on the Knesset plenum floor, the final legislative step before enactment.
As The Zioneer reported on June 9, the bill had passed its preliminary readings as a Moroccan-specific measure. Monday's committee decision broadens its scope at the urging of MKs from other North African communities.
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