Outdoor Mincha in Marrakech Sparks Backlash as Locals Spray Prayer Site with Pesticides

A brief afternoon mincha prayer in Morocco sparked a backlash over the weekend, after a group of American Hasidic tourists stopped to pray near Marrakech’s historic Bab Doukkala gate. With no synagogue nearby, they faced Jerusalem and prayed outdoors. Footage of the scene quickly spread on social media.

By the next morning, graffiti targeting a Jewish presence had appeared in the area. A group of young residents arrived with pesticide canisters and cleaning agents, spraying and washing the wall where the worshippers had stood in what they described as an act of “purification.” Some participants referred to the prayer as “contamination,” drawing sharp criticism online, particularly over the use of pesticides.

The incident escalated into a larger protest, during which Israeli flags were burned and chants against normalization were heard. Some political and religious figures described the prayer as an attempt to “Judaize” historic sites.

Jacky Kadosh, head of the Jewish community in Marrakech, responded that the tourists prayed outside because they were concerned the permitted time for prayer would pass.