Samuel Pallache

Samuel Pallache was a Jewish-Moroccan merchant and diplomat of the Morrocan sultan who secretly acted as a double agent. Samuel was born in Fez, Morocco in a Jewish family of Spanish origin that settled in North Africa after the expulsion. Versed in the languages and cultures of both Islam and Christendom, he entered the service of Moroccan sultan as a commercial and diplomatic agent in Holland. Due to his efforts, in 1610 one of the first treaty of alliance between Christian (Holland) and Muslim (Morocco) states was concluded. He was briefly arrested while staying in London, where the Spanish ambassador had a strong influence, because of pirate activities against Spanish ships. After it was revealed that Pallache acted as double agent, working at the same time for the Spanish court, he fell out of favor with the sultan.

In addition to diplomatic affairs, Pallache also continued his activities as a merchant trading between the Netherlands and Morocco. He died in Hague and was buried in the Sephardi-Jewish cemetery near Amsterdam.