Published 04:43 IST, September 20th 2020
Moroccans protest in Rabat over UAE, Bahrain's normalisation of ties with Israel
Amid the COVID-19 restricts on public gatherings, Moroccans took to the streets of Rabat on Saturday, September 19 to protest the Arab peace deals with Israel
Amid the COVID-19 restricts on public gatherings, Moroccans took to the streets of Rabat on Saturday, September 19 to protest the recent peace deals signed between two Arab countries and Israel. UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain normalise relations with Israel as they signed peace agreements in Washington on September 15.
Peace deal a 'betrayal' of the Palestinian cause
The peace agreement between the countries was brokered by the Trump administration. During the signing ceremony, the US President called the deals a step forward in achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and hoped that other Arab nations would also follow the examples of UAE and Bahrain and normalise relations with Israel.
At first, Morocco was reported to be among the other Arab countries considering a peace deal with Israel but the prime minister rejected the idea last month. As per reports, protestors were chanting slogans like "Palestine is not for sale" and characterized the deal with Israel to be treason.
Former president of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights, Abdelhamid Amine, who was also one of the organisers of the protest, called on the government “not to follow suit and we urge it not to surrender to the Zionist and imperialist pressure like other Arab countries”.
The Abraham Accord
The agreement, dubbed as the Abraham Accord, saw the UAE and Bahrain become the third and fourth gulf countries to normalise relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan. The peace agreement was signed by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and UAE's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.
After signing, Trump urged other Middle Eastern countries to follow the UAE’s lead and enter into peace agreements with Israel. He added, “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates' lead. And I want to just thank them-- it's not surprising, knowing Mohammed so well. It's not surprising. They are in that lead position. And normalise relations with Israel”.
The US President went on to add that the deal was merely the start of the normalisation process of Israeli ties with its neighbours and that more such deals are likely to occur. Trump also stated that the deal will also allow Muslims from UAE and Bahrain to visit the numerous historical sites in Israel.
(With AP inputs)
Updated 04:43 IST, September 20th 2020