Moroccan protesters call for shut down of Israeli Liaison Office

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
15 Aug 2024 14:04

Protesters demand an end to Moroccan relations with "Israel" and called for the expulsion of its representative from the country.

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A demonstrator holds a poster of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran, during a rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in Rabat, Morocco, Saturday, August 3, 2024. (AP)

The parliament building in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, witnessed Thursday a protest denouncing the normalization of ties with the Israeli occupation crimes, staged by the National Action Group for Palestine, the Sawt al-Maghreb news website reported.

According to the website, hundreds of demonstrators, led by the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Opposing Normalization, condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.

They demanded an end to Moroccan relations with "Israel" and called for the expulsion of its representative from the country.

The demonstration coincided with the arrival of a new Israeli diplomat who began his duties at the Israeli Liaison Office.

The protests extended to various parts of Morocco, most notably in the capital Rabat and the city of Berkane, where protesters expressed outrage over the Israeli massacres against Palestinians, including the recent massacre in the Al-Tabieen school in Gaza City last week.

It is noteworthy that less than two weeks after his arrival in Rabat, Hassan Kaabia, the Deputy Head of the Israeli Liaison Office, started his activities by meeting with journalists, building connections with the Moroccan press, and inviting them to visit "Israel" in September.

Morocco established diplomatic ties with the Israeli occupation entity in late 2020 under the US-brokered "Abraham Accords", which saw similar moves by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Under the deal, the United States recognized Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Morocco to buy $1bln spy satellite from 'Israel'

In early July, local media reported that Morocco is planning to acquire a spy satellite from Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) for $1 billion.

IAI, owned by the Israeli government and known for producing some of the Israeli occupation's most advanced drones and missile defense systems, announced that it had entered into a $1 billion contract to supply one of its systems to an unspecified third party.

This information was disclosed in a regulatory filing in Tel Aviv, which also stated that the contract would be executed over a period of five years.

Moroccan news websites Le Desk and Le 360, citing Israeli sources in Rabat, revealed that the contract involves the supply of the Ofek 13 spy satellite. This satellite is set to replace two existing satellites from Airbus and Thales, enhancing Morocco's surveillance capabilities.

This acquisition follows the security pact agreed upon by the Israeli occupation and Morocco in 2021 following the normalization agreement between the two parties, which encompasses intelligence sharing, as well as cooperation in military industries and procurement.