RABAT: Thousands of Moroccans gathered in the streets of their capital once again on Sunday, calling for an immediate end to their country’s diplomatic relations with Israel, which they condemned for its actions in Gaza, labeling them as “genocide”.
Since late 2020, Morocco had established diplomatic ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States. In return, Rabat received Washington’s recognition of its sovereignty claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
However, the escalation of violence in Gaza, initiated by Israel on October 7, has sparked widespread protests across Morocco, with demonstrators demanding the annulment of the normalization agreement.
A march in Morocco in support of Palestine and Gaza. pic.twitter.com/4OHeuJkxPh
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) February 11, 2024
Morocco Protest Rallies Against Israel
Under banners reading “Normalisation is treason” and “Stop the massacre,” more than 10,000 people gathered in front of Morocco’s parliament in Rabat, some carrying a massive Palestinian flag. This turnout mirrored a similar protest held in November in Casablanca.
“We see 24 hours a day bombardments, children killed, nearly 30,000 dead and nothing stops it. The genocide continues,” expressed Abdelhakim Ziani, a 25-year-old medical student who participated in the rally, emphasizing the urgency of severing ties with Israel.
The demonstration, organized by leftist parties, highlighted Morocco’s official condemnation of Israel’s actions as “flagrant violations of international law” but did not indicate any intentions to reverse the normalization with Israel.
Since the onset of the conflict, Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 28,176 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
