Recent Racial Insults Fuel Tensions in Moroccan-Israeli Relations
In the past five months, two separate incidents have emerged revealing racist remarks regarding Moroccans from associates of Benjamin Netanyahu. The latest incident directly involves his wife, Sara Netanyahu. Officially, Rabat has remained silent; however, the normalization of relations with Israel, pursued by King Mohammed VI, has never gained widespread support among Moroccans. According to the latest Arab Index, only about 6 percent of Moroccans currently endorse the recognition of Israel. These insults are unlikely to change this sentiment for the better.
Normalization Lacks Public Support
The normalization of relations remains a decision made by Mohammed VI and the royal palace, which is rejected by public opinion. The 2025 Arab Index, published in January 2026 by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, revealed that 89 percent of surveyed Moroccans oppose recognizing Israel, with only 6 percent in favor. This figure has steadily declined; in 2022, shortly after the signing of the Abraham Accords, 20 percent of the population supported normalization. Morocco is among several Arab nations, including Libya, Jordan, and Kuwait, where public opinion is particularly resistant to normalization.
This discrepancy has fueled criticism from parties opposing the resumption of relations, most notably the Justice and Development Party (PJD). Following the Ziv Agmon incident in March, this criticism reignited fervently. Numerous Moroccan commentators viewed the remarks not merely as the outburst of an individual but as indicative of how the Moroccan partner is perceived from Tel Aviv's perspective. An article in "Jeune Indépendant" described this as a “colonial mindset and structural condescension” that the author believes underpins the relationship. The two separate incidents within five months provide further ammunition for this argument.
The Agmon affair marked the beginning, while the recent lawsuit by Rami Ben Hamo serves as the latest chapter. In March 2026, Channel 12 aired footage of Ziv Agmon, a spokesperson and acting chief of staff for Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to a Likud member of Moroccan descent as a "backward Moroccan" and another as a "baboon." He further commented on the origins of Moroccans, stating, “Where do our Moroccans come from? From Africa. A baboon is a monkey.” Initially, Netanyahu stood by his aide despite public outrage but eventually succumbed to pressure and Agmon left his position in early April 2026.
Five months later, Rami Ben Hamo, who had worked for over a decade in the office of the Israeli Prime Minister and at his official residence, filed a lawsuit at the regional labor court in Jerusalem. He is seeking 450,000 shekels (approximately 115,000 euros) in damages, alleging he endured daily humiliations from Sara Netanyahu over several years. This included a remark directly related to his heritage, described by several media outlets as “uncultured Moroccan.” Other accounts refer to it as “uncivilized Moroccan” or “backward Moroccan.” Ben Hamo also claims he was forced to work excessive hours beyond legal limits—reportedly up to 80 overtime hours a month—and was made to perform degrading tasks. His case is not isolated; another staff member at the residence filed a similar lawsuit just a month prior. Several former employees of Sara Netanyahu have already received compensation for comparable incidents. The Prime Minister's office dismissed the new allegations, labeling them as “fake news” and a political maneuver against Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, the ongoing controversies have not visibly affected Israeli-Moroccan cooperation. On the contrary, military relations have continued to expand throughout the year. In January 2026, marking the fifth anniversary of normalization under the Abraham Accords, the armed forces of both nations signed a joint military action plan during the third session of their joint military commission in Tel Aviv. The Israeli army referred to Morocco as a “key partner for regional stability.” Regarding the Palestinian issue, Rabat continues to advocate—albeit cautiously—for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital. This position was reiterated multiple times in 2026 by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. On August 5, the Kingdom, represented by Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, participated in a ministerial meeting in Amman aimed at protecting Al-Quds and its holy sites, reaffirming its support for the rights of the Palestinian people. This dual approach reflects a political balancing act by Mohammed VI: he is viewed as one of Israel's key supporters while simultaneously serving as the chair of the Al-Quds Committee, all without reopening this policy to public debate.
As of August 27, 2026, Moroccan diplomacy has not publicly responded to the Ben Hamo affair, nor to the Agmon incident in March. This silence, in light of two such incidents within five months, is increasingly being commented upon, as the saying goes: silence can be seen as consent. As reported by africa-live.de.
