December 24 1610 – 8 Tevet 5371
The Dutch Republic signed a free trade treaty with Morocco, allowing the sultan to purchase ships, arms and munitions from the Dutch. This was one of the first official treaties between a European country and a non-Christian nation. Samuel Pallache, a Jewish-Moroccan rabbi, diplomat, merchant, spy and pirate was the lead negotiator on behalf of Morocco in this delicate diplomatic dialogue. This colorful character had been appointed as the Ottoman envoy to the Dutch Republic by Sultan Zidan Abu Maali in 1608. Later, he built a fleet of ships with Dutch nobleman, Prince Maurice of Nassau, and commanded raids on Spanish shipping. Legend has it that he kept a cabin on his ship kitted out as a synagogue, and traveled with a Jewish cook to make sure his meat was ritually slaughtered and his meals cooked according to Jewish law.
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