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Closer to Israel Than Most in Region, Morocco Snubs Full Ties

Closer to Israel Than Most in Region, Morocco Snubs Full Ties

Morocco is signaling it won’t follow the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel, as it refrains from any contentious political moves while mired in an economic crisis that could spark unrest at home.

While the North African kingdom’s relations with Israel have been closer than most in the region -- it had low-key diplomatic links from 1994 to 2000 and welcomes Israeli tourists and trade -- opposition to a wider embrace has emerged since the UAE upgraded its ties this month.

Prime Minister Saad Eddine El-Othmani, who hails from a moderate Islamist party, told a party gathering that normalization would mean more violations toward the Palestinians whose legitimate rights are defended by “the king, the government and the Moroccan people.” Any final decision would be made by the monarch, Mohammed VI, who largely dictates foreign policy.

Youssef Gharbi, who heads parliament’s foreign relations and defense commission, said Rabat had refrained from commenting on the pact between the UAE and Israel in order to avoid taking sides.

‘Opt for Silence’

“When we can’t call it negative, we opt for silence,” he said in a phone interview. His commission colleague, Khalid Boukarai, said pushing ahead with normalization may trigger a popular backlash. Support for the Palestinian cause runs deep in society.

Officials are already braced for protest as the coronavirus and an acute drought ravage the economy and inflate the ranks of the disenchanted.

Israel’s government has predicted countries from Bahrain to Sudan and Oman would take the UAE’s lead. So far, only a Sudanese spokesman has piped up to support a peace deal. He was abruptly fired.

‘Peace of Shame’

Media outlets that reflect the official line in Morocco have been critical of the UAE’s decision.

In an editorial titled “The peace of shame,” Assabah newspaper last week described the deal “as a black stain in the short history of this powerless small emirate.”

Morocco’s position has been closely watched at home and abroad, mainly due to the political influence of the Israeli community of Moroccan descent, and Rabat’s pioneering role in helping broker the first peace talks between Arabs and Israelis.

The country suspended its fledging ties with Israel in 2000 at the start of the Palestinian uprising, and the Foreign Ministry describes the relationship as “rescinded recognition,” rather than none at all. But trade has been expanding from agribusiness to cyber-security and military equipment and the number of Israelis of Moroccan descent who visit the country has risen even though there are no direct flights.

The country has stronger links to the Gulf -- Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE together helped their traditional ally with billions of dollars in aid to contain Arab Spring protests -- yet Morocco isn’t “as beholden” as it was a few years ago to their regional agenda, said Gharbi.

He didn’t give a reason, but cited the withdrawal from the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen as an example.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.