Rabat protest calls for cutting ties with Israel

Hundreds of people protested outside Morocco’s parliament in Rabat on Wednesday, calling for an end to diplomatic ties with Israel and the cancellation of the normalisation agreement between the two countries.

The protest, held in solidarity with Palestinians, marked the third anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza, which Palestinians, several UN officials and human rights groups have described as genocide.

The protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans including “Long live Palestine… long live the resistance”, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. They also carried banners reading “No to normalisation and no to exchanging ambassadors” and “No ambassador, no embassy”.

READ: Moroccan opposition leader: We are not Israelis; we support Palestine, King, government and people

The protesters reiterated their opposition to the normalisation agreement Morocco signed with Israel in late 2020 as part of a three-way deal that coincided with the United States recognising Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, which is disputed with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

The demonstration came after Israel announced in mid-September that it had reached an agreement with Morocco to upgrade diplomatic representation from liaison offices to embassy level, following a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers in New York under US auspices.

The announcement prompted objections from Moroccan groups opposed to normalisation, which have regularly organised demonstrations in several cities since the war on Gaza began. Authorities have also banned some of the protests on various occasions.

OPINION: The lists are growing: Will Israel finally pay a price?