On Wednesday, hundreds of individuals gathered in Rabat to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people while protesting against the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. This demonstration coincided with the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack, which marked the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. The atmosphere was charged as demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Long live Palestine and resistance" and "Death to Israel and the Zionists," as reported by an AFP journalist present at the scene.
Many participants held signs declaring their opposition to normalization efforts. This gathering followed the announcement made in mid-September by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding plans for both countries to open embassies in each other’s territories. This decision came after a meeting between the foreign ministers of Israel and Morocco, facilitated by the United States in New York.
Morocco had previously received significant backing from Donald Trump in 2020 for its claims over the contested Western Sahara territory, in exchange for normalizing its relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. During the rally, Abdelhafid Sriti, the coordinator of the National Action Group for Palestine in Morocco, emphasized the need for freedom for prisoners and a swift recovery for the injured, stating, "The resistance continues until the liberation of Palestine." Sriti was one of the primary organizers behind the Rabat demonstration, alongside other coalition groups that include Islamists and leftist parties.
The coalition has planned further actions in several Moroccan cities leading up to October 11, commemorating the third anniversary of the October 7 massacres. Since the conflict in Gaza reignited due to Hamas's attack, Morocco has witnessed numerous large-scale protests supporting the Palestinian cause while also demanding the annulment of the normalization agreement with Jerusalem. Despite these protests, the Moroccan kingdom has officially called for an end to the hostilities without challenging the normalization of relations.
As reported by fr.timesofisrael.com.
