Massive protests in Moroccan capital call for government to sever ties with Israel, reverse Abraham Accords

Tens of thousands of Moroccans took to the streets of the capital city of Rabat on Sunday, calling for the severing of relations between Morocco and Israel, which were normalized through the Abraham Accords in 2020.

“No to normalization!” the crowd chanted.

The protestors also chanted “lift the blockade!” and “Morocco, Palestine, one people!”

According to a report from French news outlet AFP, the protest was organized by “various organizations, including a coalition bringing together the Islamist movement Al-Adl Wal-Ihssane and left-wing parties.”

While many Moroccans are highly critical of the Israeli government, the Moroccan government normalized relations with Israel in 2020.

The normalization agreement was part of Trump’s Abraham Accords in 2020, which came to include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan.

The decision to normalize relations with Israel was made by King Mohammed VI, despite only a minority of Moroccans supporting the move.

After Israel invaded Gaza in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Moroccan support for normalization with Israel “plummeted from 31 percent to 13 percent,” according to polling from Arab Barometer.

The Moroccan government has also been critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“The recent number of victims killed in the past few days highlights the severity of the situation,” Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said after a wave of Israeli airstrikes in March.

“Morocco considers Israel’s actions unacceptable and condemnable, as they do not contribute to securing stability in the region.”

Despite its criticisms of Israel’s handling of the Gaza war, the Moroccan government has shown no indication that it is considering reversing its 2020 decision to normalize relations with Israel.