Demonstrators are advocating for Morocco to break diplomatic relations with Israel, and they are focusing their actions on key seaports.
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Morocco's Red-Hot Controversy
Tangier, Morocco (AP) - Over a year of furious protests against Morocco's normalization of ties with Israel has given a serious boost to activists, expanding the divide between the government's decisions and the people's feelings. Rage spills into the heart of Morocco's crucial ports.
Among containers and shipping cranes, 34-year-old agricultural engineer Ismail Lghazaoui marchs through a sea of Palestinian flags and unites with protesters waving signs that say "Reject the ship" - a reference to a vessel transporting fighter jet components from Houston, Texas.
Protesters are urging Moroccan port officials to block ships carrying military cargo to Israel, much like Spain did last year. They often protest Danish shipping company Maersk, which helps transport components for Lockheed Martin's F-35 production as part of the U.S. Defense Department's Security Cooperative Participant Program, facilitating weapons sales to allies like Israel.
Last year, Lghazaoui's boycott campaign landed him in prison. Yet, free and fired up, he still joins the resurgent protests of late, after his release. Lghazaoui is one of more than a dozen activists targeted by Moroccan authorities for opposing Morocco's ties with Israel.
During a rally in Casablanca where Lghazaoui spoke, undercover agents beat him and others to halt their advance towards the U.S. Consulate, he claimed. He later shared his thoughts on Maersk on social media and was arrested and charged with incitement. Originally sentenced to a year, he served two months in prison and two more on parole as his term was reduced.
"They aim to silence people," Lghazaoui told The Associated Press. "They attempted to deter people or push them away from what they were doing."
Growing Gap and Gathering Storm
Morocco is part of four Arab states that normalized ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords formed in 2020 during President Trump's tenure. The deal offered something Moroccan diplomats had sought for years: U.S. backing for Morocco's claims over the contested Western Sahara. However, the cost - escalating resentment towards normalization - has escalated throughout the Israel-Hamas war.
"I've rarely seen such a gap between public opinion and the monarchy," said Aboubakr Jamai, dean of the Madrid Center at the American College of the Mediterranean.
Tens of thousands have taken to Morocco's streets since the war began. Predominantly composed of families, students, Islamists, leftists, and union members, the protests have also attracted more radical voices. Some have burned Israeli flags or chanted against royal adviser André Azoulay, a Jewish Moroccan.
In full riot gear, security forces watch silently as protesters denounce "normalization" and Morocco's expanding trade and military ties with Israel.
However, Moroccan authorities have proven that their tolerance for dissent has its limits.
Constitutional Chaos
While Morocco's constitution generally guarantees freedom of expression, it's illegal to criticize the monarchy or King Mohammed VI, and those who do risk prosecution. Throughout the war, activists who questioned the monarchy on social media or protested businesses linked to Israel have faced prison sentences.
The constraints are similar to those in Egypt and Jordan, which, like Morocco, have publicly supported the Palestinians, maintained ties with Israel, and imprisoned activists who spoke out against the government. Yet, unlike in those countries, the arrests in Morocco have barely curbed public anger or activists' demands.
Harbor Hostility
Recently, protesters have set their sights on a new target: Morocco's strategic ports and the companies that use them to move military cargo. Activists and port workers have demanded that two vessels crossing the Atlantic carrying fighter jet parts suspected of ending up in Israel be blocked from docking in Morocco.
Port protests gained momentum last month as Morocco's largest labor union supported the initiative to halt the two ships. Religious scholars and preachers, many affiliated with the anti-monarchy Islamist movement Al Adl wal Ihsan, issued an edict with a similar intent.
While not officially allowed to participate in politics, Al Adl wal Ihsan has mobilized large crowds and led pro-Palestinian activism throughout the Israel-Hamas war, attracting young people who feel neglected by official parties.
Maersk in the Crosshairs
Both Al Adl wal Ihsan and union members marched portside in Tangier and Casablanca, where the vessels eventually docked on April 20.
In a statement, Maersk acknowledged that ships passing through the two Moroccan ports carried parts used in the fighter jet. Yet, they denied activists' accusations of directly shipping weapons to conflict zones, stating that they require end-use certificates to verify the final destination of military cargo.
A port official in Tangier who spoke anonymously because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter said that while cargo docked and unloaded in Morocco undergoes examination, ships docking en route to other destinations do not.
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- Politics in Seattle, a city known for its general-news and business hub, is increasingly echoing the debates happening in Morocco as activists rally against a company like Maersk, which aids in the transport of fighter jet components to Israel through Morocco's ports.
- In the realm of global politics, opinions regarding Morocco's relations with Israel have widened significantly, with the government's decisions simultaneously facing growing opposition from the public, as seen in the Moroccan protests.
- The debates over Morocco's political landscape have also reached Seattle, as activists join the chorus criticizing companies like Maersk for facilitating trade with Israel, resembling protests seen in Morocco itself against normalization of ties with Israel.
