Pro-Palestine protests in Morocco have spread across several cities, with demonstrators calling for an end to diplomatic normalisation with Israel as Rabat moves to deepen official ties with Tel Aviv.
The latest mobilisation took place on September 27, following three days of action organised by the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Against Normalisation. Demonstrations were reported in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh, Tangier, Fez, Agadir, Oujda, Tetouan, Kenitra and Sale.
The Moroccan Committee for Supporting the Nation’s Causes said it had organised 76 events in 45 cities on September 25 under the slogan “Friday for Al-Aqsa and against normalisation”. The figure was the committee’s own count and there was no independent national tally of participants.
In Rabat, protesters gathered outside Parliament, while a demonstration in Marrakesh developed into a march through several main streets. Moroccan media also reported restrictions and arrests in some locations.
Restrictions reported as protests spread
Authorities in Tangier banned a planned demonstration on September 27. Achkayen later reported that security forces dispersed hundreds of people and that more than 12 participants were detained, citing its own sources.
Lakome reported that demonstrations were also prevented in M’diq, while security forces surrounded a gathering in Agadir to stop it becoming a march.
The Moroccan Committee for Supporting the Nation’s Causes condemned what it described as bans, restrictions and arrests. The reports could not be independently verified from the information available.
The protests have highlighted the tension between opposition on the streets and the government’s decision to build closer institutional, economic and transport links with Israel.
Morocco restored diplomatic relations with Israel in December 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords framework. The move came alongside Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
At a trilateral summit in New York on September 16, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar confirmed plans to upgrade their diplomatic missions to full embassies and exchange ambassadors.
The two countries also agreed to conclude arrangements on investment protection and avoiding double taxation, expand direct flights and organise reciprocal high-level visits.
Public opposition to normalisation
Morocco has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel while continuing to publicly support the Palestinian cause and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Opponents of normalisation argue that the two positions are incompatible, particularly amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
“What has changed is the political context: Normalisation is being consolidated at a time when the war in Gaza has generated unprecedented public anger and intense images of Palestinian suffering,” Kathya K Berrada, senior programmes manager at the Arab Center for Research, said.
Moroccan activist Mouna Rahiani said the latest Arab Opinion Index found that 89 per cent of Moroccans surveyed opposed their country recognising Israel, while six per cent supported it.
“What we are seeing in Morocco is a growing disconnect between official diplomacy and public sentiment,” she said.
“While the state is moving towards deeper and more formal relations with Israel, Moroccans are still taking to the streets to say that Palestine cannot be treated as separate from our political and moral responsibilities,” Ms Rahiani added.
Ms Berrada cautioned that there was not enough reliable public data to establish how many Moroccans supported or opposed normalisation. The demonstrations show the strength of organised opposition, but do not by themselves establish the views of the wider population.
Election adds political pressure
The protests followed parliamentary elections held on September 23. The Authenticity and Modernity Party won 97 of the 395 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents with 66, Istiqlal with 65 and the Party of Justice and Development with 54.
The Party of Justice and Development, known as the PJD, won 13 seats in 2021. Turnout was 38.08 per cent, compared with 50.86 per cent in 2021 and 42.27 per cent in 2016, according to Morocco’s Ministry of Interior.
The PJD was in government when Morocco restored relations with Israel in 2020. Its then prime minister, Saadeddine el-Othmani, signed the joint Morocco-US-Israel declaration that December, while the party maintained that opposition to normalisation was a longstanding position.
Following the latest diplomatic announcement, the PJD’s general secretariat again rejected normalisation and relations and agreements with Israel. After the election, its national council unanimously decided that the party would remain in parliamentary opposition.
The PJD’s stronger parliamentary presence gives opposition to normalisation a more prominent political platform, but it does not alter Morocco’s foreign policy. It has not been established that the Palestinian issue or opposition to normalisation was a decisive factor in the vote.
The relationship with Israel also forms part of Rabat’s wider foreign policy, including its ties with Washington and international support for its position on Western Sahara. The United Nations Security Council is due to consider the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara in October.
For now, the protests show that opposition to normalisation remains capable of sustained mobilisation across Morocco, while the government continues to develop its relationship with Israel. Whether that public opposition translates into lasting political pressure remains unclear.
