Public figures in Morocco urge authorities to scrap ties with Israel

RABAT, Morocco

Scores of public figures in Morocco including former ministers urged the authorities Wednesday to scrap the country’s normalization deal with Israel in a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

They signed a petition to pressure the government to cancel the agreement.

The signatories included former Justice Minister Mustafa Ramid, former Education Minister Lahcen Daoudi, prominent Islamic scholar Ahmed Raïssouni and writers and lawyers.

"Normalization only increases Israel's intransigence in further killing and expelling of the Palestinian people," the statement said.

The petition urged the government to permanently close the Israeli liaison office in Rabat and withdraw the Moroccan liaison office in Tel Aviv.

On Dec. 10, 2020, the two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations after they were suspended in 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada.

Morocco was the fourth Arab country to agree to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

The number of people killed in Israeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since then has risen to 14,532, including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women, the media office in the besieged enclave said Wednesday.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar