How Did the Events in Palestine Confuse Morocco's Normalization with Israel?
The countries who signed normalization agreement with Israel found themselves today “in an uncomfortable position”, while their officials are living in confusion, after television channels began broadcasting the scene of shelling of the Gaza Strip 24 hours in the day, Palestinians were evacuated from their homes in Jerusalem and Israeli police attacked al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Kingdom of Morocco is one of those countries, that former U.S. President Donald Trump led a deal to normalize their relations with Israel, before stepping down in January 2021.
Recent events led to the suspension of any increase in the “public warmth” between Tel Aviv and Rabat, which had even included the department of security and intelligence.
The Kingdom is experiencing a conflict of the positions and decisions at the official level, while the popular position remained consistent on solidarity, to demanding the country use the right of Veto against the “normalization agreement”.
In an article published by the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner on 14 May 2021, he said that what is happening on the Palestinian territories caused “a great confusion” to the Arab countries, with which the diplomatic agreements signed remained relevant to the development of events on the ground.
During 2020, four Arab countries normalized their relations with Israel: Morocco, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to catch up with Jordan (1994) and Egypt (1979).
Late Position
Since April 13, 2021, Jerusalem has witnessed “savage attacks” by Israeli police and settlers in Jerusalem, al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings, and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, following Israeli efforts to evacuate the homes of Palestinian families and hand them over to settlers.
On May 9, 2021, Morocco announced its rejection of Israeli violations in the occupied city of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque, and called for “prevailing the dialogue and respecting the rights”.
The Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement, the Kingdom “considers these violations to be unacceptable, it will increase the tension and congestion”; it added: “The Kingdom has followed with great concern the repeated violent events in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque, which witnessed in its courtyards as storming and intimidation of the safe worshippers during Ramadan”. The Foreign Ministry pointed out that “Unilateral actions are not the solution, the Kingdom demands to give priority to prevailing the dialogue and respecting the rights” and confirmed “The special status of Jerusalem must be preserved, to protect the Islamic status of the city and the holiness of the Blessed al-Aqsa Mosque”.
The King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, chairs the Jerusalem Committee, which was formed in 1975 on the recommendation of the 6th Conference of Foreign Ministers of the member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in order to protect Jerusalem from Israeli plans and the danger of Judaization. Morocco restored diplomatic relations with Israel in December 2020, after cutting it for 20 years.
In his statement, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated that King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee, will continue to defend the special status of Jerusalem, and to respect the freedom to practice religious rites for followers of the three monotheistic religions.
Revising the Situation
On May 14, 2021, Morocco announced that it would send humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip consisting of 40 tons of foods and medicines for emergency treatment and blankets, while worshippers demonstrated in several cities in the Kingdom of Morocco, to condemn the Israeli shelling and solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Moroccan Foreign Ministry said: “This aid, which will be transported by the military aircraft by order of King Mohammed VI, it is a part of the kingdom's continued support for the justice Palestinian cause.
According to a statement issued by the Moroccan government on May 12, its president, Saadeddine Othmani said in a phone call with the leader of the political office of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh: “Morocco places the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem in the forefront of its interests and as the national cause (Sahara region)”.
According to the statement, Othmani confirmed to Haniya in the call on "The constant and clear position of Morocco, led by King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee, in supporting and advocating the Palestinian cause, and committed to establishing an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.
Othmani as the Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the leader of the government coalition, he anticipates the official position of the state, by announcing the launch of a donation campaign to support Jerusalemites, their defense of the city and the tension it has been experiencing in recent times.
Othmani wrote on Twitter on May 7: “The need to donate to the Rabat-based Bayt Mal al-Quds Agency to contribute to the support of the Jerusalemites”.
He added: “In support of the resistance of the Jerusalemites and their defense of Jerusalem, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has launched a campaign of donation by its members to the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Fund, this is for the benefit of a number of health and social projects”.
A Lost Technocrat
On the other hand, in light of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, Bourita participated in a conference of the most powerful Israeli lobby in the United States, “IPAC”, organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, thus putting his country in a confusing position. The leader of Moroccan diplomacy said in an interview with “IPAC”: “All tools of cooperation with Israel are available, and there is political hope that very soon we will exchange high-level visits”.
He added: “We are honest in our commitments, because we have taken the decision (normalization with Israel) with contentment, we will go as far as possible in developing the dual cooperation”.
In a Facebook post, a leader Mohamed Amahjour in AKP attacked Bourita, he described his behavior as “a Jogging and a lost technocrat”.
On May 14, more than 250 Moroccan scientific, intellectual, cultural, artistic and academic figures signed a call of solidarity with al-Mourabitoun in al-Aqsa Mosque, under the name “The Call of the People of Science, Culture and Art in Morocco”.
On 13th of the same month, the Movement for Unity and Reform (The advocacy arm of the Justice and Development Party) called on all popular bodies supporting the cause of Palestine and opposing normalization and opposing all its forms, to cooperate and coordinate to organize a popular national march to support the Palestinian people, to denounce “the crimes of the occupied Zionist entity”.
On May 15, the Moroccan initiative for support and solidarity called for a popular gathering in front of the parliament building in Rabat, then the protests spread to the various Moroccan cities.
Leaving of the Representative of Israel
On May 14, 2021, the Moroccan website “As-Sahifa” revealed the leaving of the leader of the Israeli Mission, Ambassador David Govrin, from Morocco on May 11, without specifying a date for his return.
According to the same source, the representative of Israel - who was presented to it after the signature of the normalization agreement - left with accompanied two bodyguards by Fly Emirates, to Dubai International Airport, before taking another flight to Tel Aviv during the same day, due to the lack of resumption of direct flights between Morocco and Israel.
The news of the leaving caused a noise, and a number of journalists close to the decision circles went on to deny it, which prompted Govrin to respond, saying in a tweet on his Twitter account: “I had to travel to Israel to check on the health of my father, who is in hospital, and I would return to Morocco after the Torah Landing Day, which happen on June 7, 2021”.
Govrin's leaving from Morocco, synchronized with calls for his expulsion from Rabat, all relations with Israel have been severed because of its aggression against the Palestinians.
On May 15, the non-governmental organization Mohammed Abed al-Jabri demanded that “The closure of the Israeli Liaison Office in Rabat, and the expulsion of its representative”.
