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Join on Telegram Rabat – The Arab Barometer’s latest report on Morocco has shown that 64% of Moroccans oppose the normalization of relations between the country and Israel.
Of those, the survey found, 34% said they “strongly oppose” the normalization, while 30% said they “oppose” it. Another 23% reported being in favor of the re-establishment of relations between Israel and Morocco, while only 8% said they “strongly favor” the normalization.
The Arab Barometer also found that younger, wealthier, and more educated respondents were more likely to support the Morocco-Israel ties.
While 41% of wealthier respondents favored normalization, only 25% of those who reported struggling to cover their expenses held the same view. Additionally, those with higher education credentials were twice as likely to show support for the normalization than those with a high school diploma or less.
The findings contrast with Moroccans’ comparably favorable views of the US as an ally, as 69% of respondents expressed a very or somewhat favorable view of the American government and even of Americans, unlike most MENA countries.
“Moroccans’ greater favorability towards the United States is partially linked to the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a deal that also entailed normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel, of which Moroccans are not very fond,” the Arab Barometer claimed.
Since December 2020, Morocco has been walking a fine line between strengthening ties with Israel and keeping up its support for the Palestinian cause.
While the government and several institutions in Morocco have continued to sign more agreements with Israel’s government or Israeli institutions, especially in the military and technology fields, the increasing normalization of relations is still met with disapproval from a sizable portion of Moroccan people.
Regardless, Morocco has continued to reassure both its people and Palestinians of its dedication to the “just Palestinian cause,” expressing support for a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Morocco is one of several Arab countries to have normalized relations with Israel over the past few years, with the list also including the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.
In spite of re-establishing diplomatic relations with Israel in December 2020, Morocco has released several statements condemning Israeli violence when tensions flared up in the conflict, such as when Israeli forces repeatedly raided the Al Aqsa mosque in 2022.
