Since 1991, André Azoulay has served as senior advisor to King Mohamed VI and prior to that to King Hassan II. Mr. Azoulay is the only Jew to hold a top-level government role in an Arab country and he is the first Jewish consultant to the King of Morocco since 1825. As an emigrant in the 1960s, he was one of the thousands of Moroccan Jews who left for North America, Europe, or Israel. It will soon be 16 years since King Hassan II of Morocco summoned Azoulay from Paris, France, to appoint him as his advisor on economic affairs.
Mr. Azoulay was born in Essaouira, Morocco, in 1941 to a Moroccan Jewish family. He was educated in Paris in economics, international relations, and journalism. His professional background includes involvement in regional affairs and banking. Mr. Azoulay is an active participant in Morocco’s financial institutions, including the Board of the Central Bank of Morocco, the Royal Academy of Morocco, and the Royal Academy of Spain for Economy and Finance.
Mr. Azoulay initiated the Casablanca Conference and steadfastly pursues peace through numerous channels and organizations. He is co-chairman of the International Center for Peace in the Middle East, a member of the Executive Committee of the Peres Institute for Peace, and a member of the highly prestigious Alliance of Civilizations, whose members also include former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Karen Armstrong, Professor John Esposito, former UNESCO Director General, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, and Latin American secretary general Enrique Iglesias.
A pluralist who believes in consensus and respect for the others, he is also a Member of the Board and President of the Executive Committee of the Foundation for “The Three Cultures and the Three Religions,” based in Seville, Spain. In addition, he is the Founder and Chairman of “Identity and Dialogue,” an association created in 1974 in Paris dedicated to encouraging dialogue between Jews and Muslims, Palestinians and Israelis.
Mr. Azoulay has received numerous accolades including Commander of the Wissam Al Arch (Kingdom of Morocco) and in 1989, on the occasion of the bicentennial of the French Revolution, was presented with the "Legion d'Honneur" from the government of France. In May 2006, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev awarded him an Honorary Doctoral Degree. Mr. Azoulay is Vice President of Al Akhawayn University in Ifran and is a member of its Board of Trustees.