An extraordinary group of world leaders assembled in Morocco last weekend for the funeral of King Hassan II, who died last week of a heart attack at the age of 70. The turnout, ranging from U.S. President Bill Clinton and his predecessor, Mr. George Bush, French President Jacques Chirac and South African President Thabo Mbeki, was another reminder that international influence is not necessarily related to the size of a country. King Hassan, the leader of a relatively small, North African nation best known as the setting for the Ingrid Bergman-Humphrey Bogart classic film, "Casablanca," was a key player in the search for peace in the Middle East. His funeral offered the world a final chance to honor his efforts and prod others to finish his work.
The king, a fixture in African and Middle Eastern politics, was an iron-willed monarch during his 38 years on the throne. While human-rights groups complained about his policies, others applauded the stability and vision he brought to a turbulent part of the world. The Moroccan royal family traces its heritage to the prophet Mohamed, and King Hassan considered himself the protector of Muslim sites in Jerusalem. Thus, despite the distance of the royal palace in Rabat from Israel, the king was drawn into the Middle East peace process.
The king was the first Arab leader to break the taboo on contacts with Israel. That move made the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's own breakthrough possible. The Israelis commemorated the king's courage by sending one of the largest entourages to the funeral, a group that included new Prime Minister Ehud Barak. During the ceremonies, Mr. Barak met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and held an unprecedented meeting with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Even though his country is still technically at war with Israel, Mr. Bouteflika pledged to support and contribute to the peace process.