Samuel Pallache's Pirate Deal

23 July1608 – 10 Av 5368

Don Samuel Pallache met with Dutch government members in the Hague to agree a peace treaty between Holland and his patron, Muley Zaydan of Morocco. Pallache was a rabbi, a merchant and a Jewish pirate, as well as Moroccan ambassador to the Hague, who commanded a fleet of Dutch caravels built for him by Prince Maurice of Nassau. Together they attacked Spanish shipping, selling the proceeds in the markets of Holland. Caught in a storm and forced to take shelter with his ships in England in 1615, Pallache was arrested and tried, only to be released after the Dutch ambassador testified in his favor at the court of King James I. Arriving back in Holland to a hero’s welcome, Pallache died some months later. His funeral was attended by thousands, including Prince Maurice, his personal friend and heir to the Dutch crown.