Macron's criticism of Palestinian resistance is provocative, says Morocco’s Unity and Reform group

Morocco’s Movement for Unity and Reform said on Wednesday that French President Emanuel Macron’s criticism of the Palestinian resistance was “very dangerous and provocative to the conscience of Moroccans and legitimises Israel’s crimes.”

The French president described the Palestinian resistance on Tuesday as “barbaric” in a speech to the Moroccan parliament and held it responsible for the events of 7 October last year. He sought to justify the Israeli genocide in Gaza as “the right to self-defence”. However, Macron added, “Nothing can justify such a large number of civilian deaths in Gaza.”

Macron began an official visit to Morocco on Monday, during which he attended the signing of bilateral agreements with King Mohammed VI.

The Unity and Reform Movement is regarded as the advocacy wing of Morocco’s Justice and Development Party, part of the country’s opposition in parliament. “Macron’s statements in the Moroccan parliament were extremely dangerous and very provocative to Moroccans in which he attacked the Palestinian resistance and described it as barbaric.” This, insisted the movement, is “a blatant falsification of the facts which whitewashes and legitimises the crimes of the Zionist occupation condemned by the free people of the world and the International Court of Justice.”

The people of Morocco, it added, have been declaring loudly, through their million-strong popular marches and their regular daily sit-ins, their “permanent and unconditional support” for the Palestinian resistance. Resistance by any means against a military occupation is legitimate under international law.

The movement called on all parliamentary groups that have not yet expressed their position to join the ranks of honourable parliamentarians and continue their support for the Palestinian cause.

READ: US tracking nearly 500 incidents of civilians harmed by US weapons during Gaza war