Will Moroccan Courts Criminalize Trips to 'Israel'?

In Morocco, key figures and activists against normalization with “Israel” and in support of Palestine have lodged a complaint with the public prosecutor in Rabat against 23 young Moroccans who visited “Israel.”

On September 18, 2024, the complaint was initiated by Abdelkader el-Alami, coordinator of the National Working Group for Palestine, alongside Ahmed Wehman, head of the Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization, and Aziz Hanawi, Secretary-General of the National Action Group for Palestine.

The complaint also involved Ali Boutouala, a leader in the Federation of the Democratic Left, and Nabila Mounib, a parliamentarian from the Unified Socialist Party, with representation from seven lawyers, including prominent figures such as Abderrahmane Benamrou and Abderrahim Jamai.

The filing of the complaint, according to a joint statement from the National Working Group for Palestine and the Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization, arose from the controversial visit made by several Moroccan youths to “Israel” in July 2024 led by the Sharaka Foundation based in “Tel Aviv.”

The joint statement noted that following the gathering of information and extensive legal consultations, the decision was made to file a complaint with the public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Rabat, in coordination with a group of lawyers and legal professionals.

The complaint sought to hold all involved accountable for complicity with the Israeli occupation and support for its Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) amid ongoing atrocities against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

In contrast, the Sharaka Foundation described the trip as a visit by a delegation of Moroccan youths to “Israel” “designed to build lasting friendships and networks that support peace,” the Morocco World News has learned.

The visit of the 23 Moroccan youths to “Israel” was organized by the civil society group Association Maroc Coexistence in partnership with the Sharaka Foundation in “Tel Aviv,” with funding from the German government.

The visit sparked widespread controversy on social media, particularly given its coinciding with the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has drawn condemnation from Moroccans calling for the end of normalization and complete severance of relations with “Israel”.

Morocco normalized relations with “Israel” in December 2020 as part of the so-called Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States. 

In exchange for normalization, Rabat secured U.S. recognition of its sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region.

During the visit, the 23 Moroccan youths met with key Israeli officials, including Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and former National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat.

At that time, social media platforms widely circulated videos of the Moroccan youths in the company of Israeli officials, including Ben-Shabbat speaking to them in Moroccan dialect. In contrast, others were seen dancing at parties in the occupied territories.

Israeli media, including the Jerusalem Post, reported that Moroccan youths from Al Akhawayn University voiced their support for Moroccan-Israeli relations and criticized normalization opponents.

Moroccan Youth Controversy

The individuals behind the complaint regarding the Moroccan youth delegation that visited “Israel” during the height of the ongoing genocide in Gaza are calling for a thorough and precise investigation by the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ).

The complaint alleged that the 23 Moroccan youth disrespected the deceased, insulted the Prophet Muhammad, publicly offended the Islamic faith by denigrating the prophet, dishonored the Moroccan flag, and praised terrorist acts to incite hatred.

According to the New Arab the complaint outlined several grave allegations, including a failure to show due respect for the deceased and for the Prophet Muhammad, as well as a public offense against the Islamic faith through disparagement of the Prophet. 

It also accused the visitors of disrespecting the dignity of the King, dishonoring the Moroccan flag, praising [Israeli] acts of terrorism, while inciting hatred, disrespecting the dignity of the King, as he is the head of the al-Quds Committee.

The complainants alleged that the group misused their trip, which they claimed was for tourism, as a means to spread hatred and animosity against their authentic Arab, Islamic, and Amazigh heritage, showing hostility toward their country, its symbols, and the values and identity of its people.

The complainants also called for the youths to be held accountable for portraying an image that starkly contrasts with the Moroccan public’s rejection of normalization and any compromise on the dignity and freedom of the Palestinian people, who resist in their quest for liberation.

Morocco stood as one of the key Arab nations witnessing ongoing demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza, vehemently opposing the aggression perpetrated by the occupation for over a year, while calling for an end to normalization.

Israeli Intrusion

Mohamed el-Arabi Fneidi, a lawyer with the Rabat Bar Association and part of the legal team that filed the complaint, explained the motivations behind the action, noting that they are pursuing a case against the youths who traveled to “Israel” on behalf of their client.

Fneidi further elaborated in a video statement that the complaint was filed against these youths not just for visiting “Israel”, but also for celebrating and expressing pride in their ties to “Israel”.

He emphasized that the youth reception by Israeli intelligence officials is a serious affront to the nation and to Moroccan citizens who support the Palestinian cause.

Fneidi asserted that the complaint aims to protect Moroccan society from Israeli infiltration, particularly given that these youths were hosted by Israeli intelligence agencies.

Fneidi stated that the visit was unacceptable, and to safeguard national pride and the interests of their client, the complaint was filed to address the chaos and recklessness threatening the unity and independence of the Moroccan people.

Concurrently, Abdelkader el-Alami, coordinator of the National Working Group for Palestine, stated that the complaint was brought forth by a group of Moroccan citizens against the youths who visited “Israel.”

In his remarks during the filing of the complaint at the Rabat Court of Appeal, Alami highlighted that these youths expressed support for the war crimes and acts of genocide perpetrated by the Israeli Occupation Forces against the Palestinian people.

El-Alami emphasized that these youths celebrated the genocide of the Palestinian people, while also insulting the Prophet Muhammad and showing disrespect for the Moroccan state, actions that are criminal under Moroccan law.

"Driven by our love for our country and our faith, and in condemnation of the glorification of terrorism and Zionist crimes, we have submitted this complaint, and we hope it will follow its natural course so that those responsible are held accountable for the transgressions against our religion, our nation, and the Palestinian people," as noted by el-Alami and reported by Al-Estiklal.

Israeli Propaganda

Nabila Mounib, a parliamentarian and leader of the Unified Socialist Party, noted that as “Israel” carries out war crimes against civilians and infrastructure, Moroccan youths are visiting “Israel” and celebrating with its Israeli Occupation Forces.

During her remarks at the Court of Appeal in Rabat while presenting the complaint, Mounib stated, "We filed this complaint to ensure that these youths who visited “Israel” are held accountable, whether they acted knowingly or unknowingly." 

She cautioned that they "are operating within the framework of [Israeli] propaganda against their country and against its values, symbols, and sacred sites."

"as we strive for our country to move towards a democratic path and a state governed by law and rights, with an independent and fair judiciary, this complaint will follow its natural course," Mounib noted.

As reported by Al-Estiklal, Mounib added, "We cannot remain silent about these actions and this [Israeli] propaganda, especially while attempts to exterminate the Palestinian people continue." 

Mounib emphasized that "what occurred on October 7 (Operation al-Aqsa flood) falls within the realm of self-defense and the struggle for the occupied land."

"This complaint concerns a group of youths studying at a Moroccan university, who, amidst the ongoing genocide against our brothers in Palestine, met with leaders of [the Israeli Occupation Forces].”

"If these youths were misled or are merely naive and being exploited in this [Israeli] propaganda targeting our country, they must face the consequences they deserve, because the Moroccan people have always stood—and continue to stand—with the justice of the Palestinian cause," Mounib noted.

Religious Blasphemy

Aziz Hanawi, secretary-general of the National Working Group for Palestine, explained that this complaint stems from a thorough examination of the troubling details surrounding the recent visit, which represents a condemned normalization with the Israeli enemy. 

This visit occurred against a highly volatile backdrop of ongoing atrocities being committed against women and children in Gaza.

Hanawi told Al-Estiklal that the Moroccan youths who visited “Israel” under the auspices of the "Partnership" organization did not stop at the already condemned act of normalization; they exceeded that crime to commit a series of other offenses punishable under Moroccan penal law.

This visit, which ran counter to popular will, served as a stage for several crimes, notably the glorification of terrorism, as well as offenses against the Prophet Muhammad and against Moroccan state institutions.

According to Hanawi, this delegation praised terrorism when its members claimed that their trip was to support “Israel” in its war against "Palestinian terrorism," effectively meaning they were endorsing a systematic, declared genocide broadcast live.

He asserted that the delegation's announcement that their visit was to support the Israeli Occupation Forces against "terrorist" Palestine reflects a disdain for the state and a rejection of the leadership of the al-Quds Committee represented by the King, confirming their opposition to the official Moroccan stance, even at its most minimal.

Hanawi observed that the delegation danced during parts of their visit, brandishing both the Moroccan and Israeli flags alongside Israeli Occupation Forces and intelligence officials, in the presence of ministers from the occupying government.

Hanawi stated that the delegation's leader controversially defended their support for “Israel” by claiming that being Moroccan and an Israeli can coexist with Islam, even suggesting the Prophet was an Israeli. 

Hanawi raised the question of whether such statements insult the Prophet and violate Moroccan law.

"When we issued a statement regarding the actions of the delegation's leader and the head of the Jewish community in Marrakech, Jackie Kadouch, they appeared in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post and the Moroccan magazine Telquel, claiming that the visit and its activities were conducted with the knowledge and blessing of the King.”

Hanawi stated that "this was an attempt by them to involve the state through the King, constituting a compounded crime." 

"The situation did not stop there; it escalated to even more serious crimes, such as the delegation members proudly wearing hats emblazoned with the Mossad logo, which amounts to collusion with a foreign terrorist entity and an endorsement of a terrorist organization."

"The purpose of filing this legal complaint is to investigate these youths and hold them accountable under Moroccan criminal law for the crimes of glorifying terrorism, insulting sacred beliefs, disrespecting the national flag, and dragging the King's name into this affair," Hanawi concluded.