The will to cooperate was raised during an official visit by the Israeli comptroller to Morocco. Comptroller Engelman was invited by the First President of the Court of Audit in November 2022 during the INTOSAI (International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions) conference held in Brazil.
During the visit, two professional meetings were held between the teams of both the comptroller's offices of the two countries, in which audit methodologies and audit products of mutual interest were presented.
As part of his visit to Morocco, the Comptroller also visited the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V, placed a wreath on his grave, and visited the Hassan II Mosque. The Comptroller also met with Jewish communities in Morocco. The Comptroller was accompanied by Office Director General Yishai Vaknin and Chief of Staff Ahuva Nevo – both from families of Moroccan origin.
State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman invited his Moroccan colleague on a reciprocal visit to Israel and told his Moroccan colleague: "Morocco and Israel share mutual respect and common values. Even before the State of Israel was established, Morocco was the country that took in many Jews who had to flee the murderous Inquisition regime that reigned in Spain and Portugal, starting in 1492. The Moroccan people and the Jews who lived and live in Morocco had good neighborly relations and respected each other's religions and way of life. To this day, Israelis of Moroccan origin longingly recall the King of Morocco and the good life they had here.
Jews of Moroccan origin living in Israel are very proud of their heritage. Thus, I have a custom of participating every year in the Mimouna celebrations of my neighbors Moshe and Violet who, in line with Moroccan tradition, open their house generously with the best Moroccan pastries – mofletta, zhaben, m’rouzia, sfinge. In addition, two screenwriters, sons of Moroccan immigrants, have created a series about Moroccan immigrants in Israel. The series is called The Eighties, with a sequel called The Nineties. The series depicts how the family's parents, Prosper and Lillian, longingly recall the special life they had here.
In ten months, I will take office as President of EUROSAI. I believe I will be the only senior Israeli official at the head of a European organization. Morocco is the closest country to Europe, and it is good that we are strengthening relations at the level of the countries' comptrollers. This, in order to promote the interests of both institutions, for a significant contribution in the field of auditing. I believe that state comptroller's play an important role in the global campaign in fields such as environment, cyber and AI (artificial intelligence): in making sure that the governments' decisions on these issues are translated into effective activity, and that the governments are best prepared for the changes in these worlds.
I wish to thank you for your hospitality, for the respect you have given the Jewish people over the centuries, and for the good relations currently being forged between the two countries.”
