Morocco: Protestors condemn ‘traitor’ gov’t over neutral stance on Gaza onslaught

A view of destruction after the Israeli attack in Gaza on 7 August 2022 [Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu Agency]

Demonstrators in Morocco have branded their government as traitorous over Rabat’s on-going normalisation with Israel and its refusal to condemn the Israeli military over its act of aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip on Friday, which lead to the death of 44 Palestinians including 15 children.

Carrying banners, Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs, protesters chanted “Oh, traitor rulers” yesterday in Casablanca’s Sraghna Square.

One activist was quoted by the New Arab as saying: “As we condemn the Zionist entity’s war crimes in Gaza, we also call on the Moroccan state to cancel the normalisation accord that emboldens the occupation to continue its crimes.”

“[Morocco’s] foreign ministry statement does not honour Moroccans or Morocco as it supports the Israeli narrative,” the protestor added.

READ: Israel signs contract to build embassy in Morocco

Following Israel’s widely condemned offensive, Morocco’s foreign ministry issued an official statement stating: “[Rabat] follows with great concern the situation in the Gaza Strip that it is witnessing a significant deterioration, as a result of the resurgence of violence and fighting, and the resulting casualties and loss of life and property.”

The ministry called for “avoiding further escalation and restoring calm to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control and to spare the region more congestion and tension that undermine peace prospects.”

Israel forces carry out strike in Gaza - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Israel forces carry out strikes in Gaza – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

The “regressive language of the Foreign Ministry’s statement” was also slammed by Morocco’s Islamist Justice and Development (PJD) party.

The protests follow similar ones held last month over a visit of the Chief of Staff of the Israeli military, Aviv Kochavi, as part of efforts to strengthen military and security ties between both states.

In 2020 as part of the wider US-brokered Abraham Accords, the kingdom resumed diplomatic ties with Israel in exchange for Washington’s recognition of Rabat’s territorial claims over the disputed Western Sahara.

READ: Morocco, Israel agree to enhance security cooperation

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