Rabat has witnessed demonstrations against the visit of the Israeli Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, who arrived in Morocco on Monday, July 18 at the head of a security delegation.
On Monday evening, hundreds of Moroccan activists took part in a sit-in protest outside the seat of parliament in the Moroccan capital.
During the sit-in, protesters chanted slogans condemning the visit of a war criminal and normalization with “Israel,” such as:
“O accursed Zionist…Palestine is in the eyes. O patient Zionist, … Palestine is digging your grave.”
The demonstrators also chanted “the people want the reversal of normalization, the people want to criminalize normalization” and “No, no, to normalization”.
Israeli army chief Aviv Kochavi is the first chief of staff of the Zionist entity to pay an official visit to Morocco.
During his three-day trip, Aviv Kochavi, former head of military intelligence, is due to meet Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate for Defence, Lieutenant-General Belkheir Al-Farouq, Inspector General of the Royal Moroccan Forces (FAR) as well as military and security officials, according to an Israeli spokesman.
At the end of March, a delegation of senior Israeli officials made a discreet visit to Morocco – again a first – which resulted in the signing of a cooperation agreement, envisaging the creation of a joint military commission.
In November 2021, the Israeli Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz, signed a memorandum of understanding in Rabat which frames security relations with Morocco. The agreement notably provides for cooperation between intelligence services, the development of industrial links, the purchase of armaments and joint training.
The rapprochement between Morocco and ‘Israel’ has accelerated since the normalization in December 2020 under the leadership of the Trump administration.
The normalization of relations with ‘Israel’ was obtained in exchange for the recognition by the United States of the “Moroccanness” of the separatist territory of Western Sahara.
