Morocco police crackdown on people protesting against normalisation of ties with Israel

A group of Moroccan activists tried to organise a protest against the country’s decision to establish diplomatic ties with Israel on Tuesday, December 15. Showing solidarity with Palestinians, scores of people coalesced outside the parliament building in-country capital Rabat. However, timely action by police officials quelled the demonstration.

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that both Israel and Morocco had made a deal to normalise their relations. As a part of the US-brokered pact, Washington would have to recognise Rabat’s claim over Western Sahara Region. While Trump boasted of Morocco being the latest Arab nation to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, thousands of Moroccans took to streets to protest against it.

Read: Morocco To Normalise Ties With Israel As US Agrees To Its Sovereignty over Western Sahara

Abdessamad Fathi, president of the Moroccan Instance for the Support of Ummah Affair stated that the deal was "imposed on Moroccan residents". Meanwhile, the royal palace in Rabat said in a statement that King Mohammed VI had promised Donald Trump he would facilitate direct flights to transport Jews of Moroccan origin and Israeli tourists to and from Morocco and re-open the liaison offices.

Read: Trump Announces Israel-Morocco To Normalize Relations

Other nations improve ties

In October this year, taking the world by surprise, Israel and United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced establishing full diplomatic relations in a US-brokered deal called the Abraham Accord. UAE, thus, became the third Arab country and the first Gulf nation after Egypt and Jordan to establish relations with Israel.

Soon after, Bahrain followed UAE and signed a ''peace deal'' with Israel. Moreover, the following month, Israel and Sudan agreed to normalise their relations and in quid pro quo for another Arab nation's recognition of Israel, the United States said it would remove Sudan from its State Sponsors of Terrorism list. 

Read: Morocco's 'new Official Map' Signed By US Including Disputed Western Sahara

Read: Morocco's School Curriculum To Include Jewish Culture And History, First In Arab World

Image: AP