Rockin' in Morocco

Surreal scene in Morocco: Israeli tourists dance to Hebrew pop hit, "Keep him confused" (sung by Kobi Peretz) as thousands of Moroccans, tourists from around the world look on
Itamar Eichner

The scene was surreal last week at the Sheikh Ali compound in Marrakesh, Morocco: Israeli tourists dancing hora in front of an admiring crowd of Moroccans, and tourists from around the world.

The tour, called "How do you say dance in Moroccan," was led by David Adari, President of Maroc Tours, a travel agency specializing in tours for Israelis in the North African country.

The group wandered through ancient quarters, visited the Sahara Desert, hiked in the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, and shopped in the souks and casbahs of Casablanca and Marrakesh. In Agadir and Casablanca, the tourists met members of the local Jewish community.

But the trip's highlight was the dancing at the Ali compound, which followed a gallop of horses and shots fired in the air. As the Israelis danced in circles and electrified the local crowd, a band from Bahrain joined in with the dancers.

Towards the end of their appearance, the Israelis played the famous song, "Keep Him Confused," a fast-paced Israeli Mediterranean pop hit.

"Despite the fact that the song was in Hebrew, everyone wanted to dance to it. The crowd accepted us in an amazing way," said Adari.

"They knew we were Israeli. The dancers from Bahrain also received us with smiles. Our feeling was that politicians should learn from us how to make peace between nations," he added.