Morocco: Protesters rally against peace deal between Israel, UAE and Bahrain
Scores of Moroccan protestors took to the streets on Saturday, September 19 to express their disappointment opposing UAE and Bahrain's peace deal with Israel.
- World News
- 2 min read
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Scores of Moroccan protesters took to the streets on Saturday, September 19 to express their anger against the historic peace agreement that was signed between Israel and UAE, Bahrain defying a government ban on large gatherings to curb the spread of coronavirus. The protesters staged a rally to the Moroccan Parliament situated in the capital city of Rabat and also set fire on a mock Israeli flag. In addition, they condemned the "Arab normalisation" of bilateral ties with Israel.
Protesters condemn the deal
The protesters in Morocco also waved Palestinian flags, decrying the deals as "treason" and chanted "Palestine is not for sale". The Palestinians view the US-brokered deal as a stab in their back from their fellow Arabs in the Gulf and a betrayal for the Palestinian state. The peace agreement between Israel- UAE and Israel-Bahrain have been criticized by many countries in the Arab world.
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The organizers of the protest interrupted the chanting in between frequently to urge the participants to wear masks and maintain social distancing protocols. Dozens of police officers deployed watched the chaos from a distance.
Associated Press quoted human rights activist Abdelhamid Amine, "The normalization deals are an attack on the Palestinian people and their cause". "We are calling on the Moroccan government not to follow suit and we urge it not to surrender to the Zionist and imperialist pressure like other Arab countries", added the activist.
Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani said last month that the kingdom does not entertain any form of normalization with Israel. While addressing a meeting he was quoted saying, "The Moroccan monarch, government and people will always defend the rights of the Palestinian people and Al-Aqsa Mosque".
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The agreement, dubbed as the Abraham Accord, saw the UAE and Bahrain become the third and fourth gulf countries to normalize relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan. The peace agreement was signed by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and UAE's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. The Abraham Accord states that the two Arab counties will henceforth normalize diplomatic relations with Israel and thus will be able to exchange ambassadors, establish embassies and enter into trade deals.
Image/Inputs: AP