Thousands protest Israel-Morocco ties amid Gaza hunger crisis
The growing strain between Morocco’s pro-Palestinian public and its normalization with Israel could force a reckoning in the country’s foreign policy stance.
On July 20th, thousands gathered in Rabat, the Kingdom’s capital, to denounce the “deliberate starvation campaign” in Gaza, the Moroccan outlet, Medias24 reported. Protestors chanted outside parliament doors against normalization, and called to sever diplomatic ties with Israel.
The demonstrations come amid Israel’s occupation of Gaza, where a looming famine is one of several flagrant human rights catastrophes unfolding in the enclave. International observers argue that Israeli restrictions on aid, particularly around the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings, have made meaningful relief impossible.
As a result, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported in May that over a fifth of the population in Gaza is facing phase 5 hunger levels, labelled “catastrophe,” with 100% of the population meeting crisis level, or phase 3. According to the report, children under five bear the highest mortality risk.
The Rabat protest was organised by a coalition of political and civil society groups, including leftist parties, trade unions, and Islamist movements. These groups were united by their opposition to Morocco’s 2020 normalisation agreement with Israel, signed under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.
Since then, cooperation between the two countries has expanded in defense, trade, and intelligence. Public support for these relations, however, has remained shallow and strained.
Protestors demanded the expulsion of the Israeli liaison office in Rabat, accusing Moroccan authorities of complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
While the government has issued tentative statements about the humanitarian crisis, these are viewed as lacking substance, as Rabat has stopped short of revisiting its strategic relationship with Israel.
The organizers issued a statement before the demonstration emphasizing the country’s “humanitarian duty,” bringing light to Morocco’s part in international silence when faced with an “abominable crime.”
They specified that their protest was to be seen as part of the global movement against famine in Gaza, urging the government to denounce “the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people.”
Medias24/ Maghrebi/Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)
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