Moroccan king's call for Jerusalem as Palestinian capital caused earthquake - rabbi

An Israeli municipal rabbi has linked the recent earthquake in Morocco to a political statement about Israel and the Palestinians.

Rabbi Moshe Elcharar, the rabbi of Shlomi's local council, wrote an op-ed for the Religious Zionist website Srugim suggesting that the Moroccan King Mohammed VI's audacious demand that Jerusalem become the capital of a future Palestinian state is what led to the earthquake last month, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Elcharar's theory gained momentum when he pointed out that just two months ago, "King Mohammed VI of Morocco recently made a bold statement, just a few months ago, asserting that Jerusalem should become the capital of the Palestinians. Almost immediately after his statement, significant regions experienced severe disturbances and collapses."

Although Elcharar said that he spoke to a colleague who pointed out that "we cannot attribute any event solely to one cause."

Israel and Morocco share close ties. The countries signed the Abraham Accords a few years ago and trade and tourism has increased. Nonetheless, the issue of the Palestinians continues to be a sticking point for most Arab countries, including those with which Israel has peaceful ties. 

The rabbi, in his op-ed, went on to explain that for religious people, the core question is whether the Moroccan earthquake was solely a geological phenomenon, such as tectonic plate movements that occur in various parts of the world, including the Syrian-African Rift, or if one can draw a connection between the king's statements and the crisis.

He quoted an ancient rabbi, who raises the provoking question: "Does the earthquake serve as a divine response to the king's proclamation, or is it purely a geological event?"