Moroccan Protests Surge Against Israel Ties Amid Gaza Conflict

Since the spectacular and surprise attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas and the bloody retaliation by Israel, hundreds of citizens and activists are mobilizing in the streets of Rabat and other Moroccan cities to demonstrate for Palestine on the one hand, and call on Morocco to go back on the normalization of its diplomatic relations with the Hebrew state in exchange for the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara and the closure of the Israeli liaison office in the Moroccan capital, on the other hand. A gap between the government and public opinion. According to opponents of the Rabat-Tel Aviv rapprochement, the demonstrations clearly show that the gains obtained by the governments thanks to the agreements have hardly influenced public opinion.

If Morocco ordered the dispersal of these demonstrations and the condemnation of the demonstrators - a man was sentenced to five years in prison in Casablanca for criticizing the normalization - before the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel, it is now showing clemency. The kingdom, however, does not seem ready to go back on normalization. According to Zakaria Aboudahab, professor of international relations at the University Mohammed V in Rabat, the demonstrations will probably not lead the kingdom to cancel the normalization, but will serve as a "safety valve" to moderate public anger. Since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7, Morocco has displayed a moderate and tempered position. Moroccan diplomacy has "condemned attacks on civilians wherever they are," before highlighting its humanitarian aid efforts to Gaza.

In Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates - three other countries that have normalized their relations with Israel, public opinion expresses the same demand. While their leaders consider normalization as a step towards a "new Middle East" - their governments have enjoyed closer military and economic ties with Israel in recent years -, the populations are calling for cutting ties with the Hebrew state. This is what Bahrain finally did yesterday.