Moroccans Protest Warming Ties With Israel Amid Public Backlash

Despite significant warming in relations between Israel and Morocco, including the resumption of direct flights and plans to restore ambassadors, public dissent is growing within the North African kingdom. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi met with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita approximately ten days ago, agreeing to elevate diplomatic ties. This follows the August announcement by Transportation Minister Miri Regev regarding the renewal of direct flights from Tel Aviv to Marrakech, with Casablanca expected to follow.

However, these diplomatic advancements are met with strong popular opposition. Thousands of protesters, waving Palestinian flags, have taken to the streets chanting "The people want to bring down normalization." These demonstrations have led to confrontations and dozens of arrests.

Hassan Al-Aloui, a member of the Moroccan Movement to Resist Normalization, stated the protest's aim is to "raise our voice as the Moroccan people of all its shades, to condemn the Zionist entity and normalization, and to affirm our opposition to the embassy, and our opposition to the entity and its presence in Morocco in any form."

The political landscape also reflects this tension, particularly after last week's parliamentary elections. Aziz Hanaoui, secretary-general of the Moroccan Organization for Resistance to Normalization and a member of the Islamic Justice and Development Party, entered parliament. Hanaoui strongly criticized the rapprochement with Israel, calling it a "Zionist cancer" infiltrating Moroccan society and institutions, highlighting the challenge for the monarchy in advancing relations against Islamist opposition.