Israeli scientists not invited to conference in Morocco

The government of Morocco has announced that it will not invite Israeli scientists to attend a scientific conference in Fez, local newspapers said on Friday. The news was confirmed by the office of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The conference is due to be held in June at the Sidi Mohamed Bin-Abdullah University.

Morocco’s National Union of Higher Education asked the conference organising committee not to invite Israeli scientists and have threatened to call for a boycott should Israelis turn up. Having Israeli scientists there would, said the union, “normalise” academic relations with Israel.

The Director of the Minister’s office, Mohamed Talal, told a press conference that the organising committee has informed the ministry that it has agreed not to invite scientists from Israel.