Since last October, Rabat has been under mounting social and political pressure to revoke the normalization agreement it signed with Tel Aviv. The escalating situation in the Palestinian territories has prompted Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to speak out against Israel’s actions. In his speech at the Summit Conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on May 4th, the monarch condemned the attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank instigated by Israeli government officials.
Representing the King at the summit, Moroccan Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq highlighted the need for an immediate cessation of Israel’s illegal actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The summit was called in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, which has resulted in a staggering number of casualties.
Since the normalization agreement, Morocco has witnessed a wave of pro-Palestine rallies and protests. The public outcry has united various political parties, urging the government to rethink its ties with Israel. Despite reaffirming its commitment to normalization in March, Rabat faces strong opposition from anti-normalization activists who are determined to see the agreement revoked.
While some argue that ties with Israel benefit the Palestinian people, others like Aziz Hanaoui from the Moroccan group against normalization are resolute in their stance. They demand a reversal of normalization and the closure of the Israeli office in Rabat. The situation remains tense as Morocco grapples with the conflicting pressures from within and outside regarding its relationship with Tel Aviv.