Flag-waving Israeli tourist condemned by Moroccans

An Israeli tourist who was filmed waving an Israeli flag near the Morocco-Algeria border has sparked backlash from pro-Palestinian groups in Morocco, as reported by the Middle East Monitor via Ynet on January 26th.

Footage of the incident emerged on January 23rd, where a woman is seen waving the Israeli flag on the Moroccan side of the Saidia border area, where Algerian soldiers were visible a short distance away. Ynet states the woman was part of an organised tour group to the region.

The Berkane-based Front for the Support of Palestine and Opposition to Normalisation with Israel condemned the incident, describing it as provocative, while Moroccan-based Palestinian activist, Fathi Abdel Samad, condemned the action as shameful.

Despite the Moroccan government normalising ties with Israel through the US-backed Abraham Accords in 2020, the Moroccan public has vocally opposed its country’s ties to Israel.

On January 17th, hundreds of Moroccans joined protests and vigils in support of the Palestinian people; they condemned Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed at least 71,000 people since October 2023.

It was reported on January 9th that Israel and Morocco had reached a defence partnership agreement, under which Israel would continue to provide military support to Morocco.

Furthermore, the pact would allow Israel to expand its military ties into North and West Africa, meaning its security reach would go beyond the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf.

This is despite concerns that Israeli defence contractors, such as Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), are complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Elbit Systems is reportedly one of Morocco’s main weapons suppliers, specialising in unmanned artillery vehicles (UAVs), electronic warfare systems, advanced artillery, and self-propelled artillery systems, all of which are advertised as “battle tested” by the contractor.

Despite publicly condemning Israel’s war on Gaza, Morocco has maintained close ties to Israel since at least the 1980s, with King Hassan II, the father of King Mohammed VI, holding a secret meeting in Rabat with then-Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres in 1986.

The Moroccan public has repeatedly opposed the normalisation of ties with Israel, with many signing a petition in January 2024 to halt the normalisation process.

The Kingdom has also faced criticism for allowing a navy ship travelling between the US and Israel to dock at the northern port city of Tangiers in June 2024; protests also occurred in Tangiers over the shipment of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel in April 2025.

Middle East Monitor via Ynet, Maghrebi.org