The Commandery of the Faithful, of which His Majesty King Mohammed VI is the depositary, stands out as a fundamental component of the “Moroccan exception,” Serge Berdugo, ambassador-at-large of His Majesty the King, emphasized on Thursday in New York, stating that the Sovereign, through this mission, is the guarantor of freedom of worship for followers of the three monotheistic religions in the Kingdom.
Engraved in marble, this Moroccan exception is enshrined by the 2011 Constitution, which recognizes the Hebrew as a component of the plural national identity, Berdugo pointed out during a tribute ceremony paid to him by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in his quality as the president of the Israelite Community Council of Morocco.
This exception is notably reflected in the preservation of Jewish cultural and religious heritage as an integral part of the Kingdom’s heritage.
Berdugo also took this opportunity to highlight the historical ties between Morocco and the U.S., enshrined by the Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1787, “the oldest uninterrupted treaty of American history.”
In this respect, he recalled the recognition, in December 2020, by the U.S., of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, and reiterated on numerous occasions since then.
During this ceremony, Serge Berdugo received the American Jewish Committee’s Akiba Award.
This award was granted to him “in recognition of his unwavering efforts for his community and his country, the Kingdom of Morocco, whose Sovereign, following a long-standing tradition, honors and protects His subjects of Jewish fate and strives to safeguard pluralism and mutual respect as irrefutable national values,” AJC CEO, Ted Deutch, said.
MAP:27 September 2025
