Moroccan Senate head to make first visit to Israeli occupation entity

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Sep 2023 14:31
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The president of the Moroccon senate will be the most senior politician to visit the occupation entity.

Moroccans raised Palestinian flags and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans as they demonstrated nationwide against their country normalizing ties with the Israeli occupation entity in 2022 (AFP)

The President of the Moroccan Senate accepted a formal invitation by Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and announced that he will be making an official visit to the Israeli occupation entity end of next week.

According to Israeli media, “[Senate head] Naam Mayara will be the first Moroccan top politicians and one of the few high-level Muslim figures to visit the Knesset in occupied Al-Quds."

Morocco and the occupation entity announced normalizing ties in December 2020 and signing several cooperation agreements in the presence of representatives of the United States.

Following the event, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu invited the Moroccan king, Mohammed VI, to visit "Israel".

On July 10, the Moroccan Royal Office announced that "Tel Aviv" recognized the sovereignty of Morocco over the Western Sahara. In response, the monarch sent an invite to Netanyahu in July to officially visit the West African country, "thanking him" for his decision.

Moroccan Action Group for Palestine described the King's invitation to the Israeli prime minister as a catastrophe and a provocation to the Morrocan people.

In a statement, the group explained that Netanyahu is not welcome in their country, affirming that normalization with "Israel" is a betrayal and will not achieve Morrocco's national interests.

"War criminals are not welcome in our country,” the group said in a statement.

On the contrary, the group said Rabat will suffer heavily on the moral, legal, and diplomatic levels.

The normalization deal with the Israeli occupation is widely unpopular in Morocco, with the public constantly protesting the decision and taking stances against the Monarchy's betrayal of the Palestinian cause. However, Rabat's cruel and inhumane crackdown on citizens who oppose the treaty has compelled many to refrain from publicly expressing their dissent.

Last month, Morocco's authorities sentenced 48-year-old citizen Said Boukioud to five years in prison for criticizing the country's normalization of ties with the Israeli occupation, and the King's role in it on Facebook.

The sentencing was based on Article 267-5 of the penal code, which stipulates imprisonment ranging from six months to two years for undermining the monarchy. However, the sentence can be increased to five years if the offense is committed publicly, including online or through other electronic means.

Human rights activists criticize this law, asserting that it restricts freedom of expression, as it does not clearly define what constitutes an attack on the monarchy.