National Syndicate for Moroccan Press Rejects 'Media Normalization' with "Israel"
The President of the National Syndicate for Moroccan Press regards Moroccan journalists' visit to "Israel" as a form of normalization and rejects it.
The President of the National Syndicate for the Moroccan Press, Abdallah Bakkali, denounced the Moroccan journalist delegation's visit to "Israel," considering "Israel's" coverage of travel and accommodation expenses as "an insult and humiliation."
In a statement published by Moroccan media outlets, Bakkali said "The mere fact that the visit was concealed and announced at the last moment exposes its true nature," adding that "It is a shame for journalists, media professionals, intellectuals or the elite to visit the Zionist entity, whose visit is hosted by the Israeli government, which will be paying for the plane tickets, hotel, and other things."
Furthermore, the President of the syndicate said "We are not against visiting Palestine to conduct press coverage for the benefit of public opinion; however, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs payment for travel and accommodation expenses is deeply insulting and humiliating to Moroccan journalists," saying that he "rejects this visit and these shameful forms of normalization."
Bakkali's condemnation comes after the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced that a Moroccan delegation arrived in "Israel" last Sunday at the invitation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit was for six days.
A picture of the delegation circulated on social media, exposing its former parliamentarian Naima Farah, a former member of the political bureau of the "National Rally of Independents," who was also a correspondent for the Casablanca.
The Chargé d'affaires at the Israeli Liaison Office in Morocco, David Govrin, confirmed that he received the Moroccan delegation, which includes 8 members." Govrin announced on Twitter that "at the invitation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a delegation of Moroccan journalists and civil society representatives will be visiting "Israel" in the coming days."
Govrin continued, "This visit is to strengthen and consolidate cultural, media, and social cooperation" between Morocco and "Israel."
Meanwhile, the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Against Normalisation organized a protest in front of the Parliament building in Rabat, refusing Israeli occupation Security Minister Benny Gantz's scheduled visit to Morocco that will last for two days.
Abdul Samad Fathi, the deputy coordinator of the Moroccan National Front to Support Palestine and Oppose Normalization, said the Israeli entity regards Morocco as the gateway to its greedy ambitions in the Maghreb region and the rest of Africa, and it wants it to wage war on its behalf in the area.
Fathi stressed in a post on his official Facebook page regarding the visit of the Israeli Security Minister to Rabat that military normalization with the Israeli entity holds therein two dangers, apart from its repercussions on the Palestinian cause and national security, as well as all the immorality it represents.