Palestinian Cause: Former Israeli PM Says Morocco Can Help End Escalating Tensions

Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak, who witnessed major stops in the Israeli-Palestine conflict particularly the long-decades Israeli aggression, has pitched Morocco as part of a potential Arab Peace Force that can influence both parts of the rapidly Hamas-Israel escalating conflict to agree to bring back security and relative calm to the besieged and relentless shelled Gaza Strip.

In an article published on Sunday, October 15, The Economist quoted Barak’s suggestion that once Hamas’s military capabilities are “sufficiently” degraded, the optimal solution to the deepening crisis would be to re-establish the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority, created as part of the Oslo Accords, was ousted from the Gaza Strip by Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) after a bloody conflict between the two factions in 2007. Hamas had won elections in Gaza a year earlier, but Fatah’s rejection of the results ultimately led to a war that ended with a total victory – political and military – for the former.

Once Hamas is neutralized, Ehud Barak appeared to suggest, the next phase should be an interim period during which “Israel will capitulate to international pressure and hand Gaza over to an Arab peacekeeping force, which could include members such as Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates. They would secure the area until the Palestinian Authority could take control.”

All of the three countries have diplomatic ties with Israel, with Morocco re-establishing ties with Tel Aviv in late 2020.

The Economist portrayed Barak as being one of the few people with extensive experience of operating in Gaza.

In 2000, Barak served both as Prime Minister and Defense Minister during the Second Intifada, or the Palestinian uprising, that broke out after the then Israeli leader Ariel Sharon stormed the Al Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem in what Palestinians deemed as an intolerably provocative move.

The storming of the Al Aqsa took place with extensive presence of armed police and soldiers on September 28, 2000.

Ehud Barak’s policy is no different from Israel’s objective towards Palestine – securing more settlements, but he is critical of Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming him for Israel’s “greatest failure in Israel’s history.”

The Economist article further quoted the former Israeli PM as saying: “It will be clear that above all, Netanyahu had a flawed strategy of keeping Hamas alive and kicking… so he could use them to weaken the Palestinian authority so that no-one in the world could demand that we hold negotiations with the [Palestinians].”

Barak blames Netanyahu for the crisis, the Economist said, recalling the deaths of an unprecedented number of Israeli civilians in Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Beyond the chess game between Israeli opposition leaders, Morocco has been frequently pitched as among crucial players that could contribute to mitigating the crisis between Palestine and Israel.

David Govrin, the chief of Israel’s Liaison Office in Rabat, said in an interview in May of last year that he hopes Morocco can play the “very significant role” of mediator between Israel and Palestinians.

“We believe Morocco can play this role once again, as it enjoys very good relations with Israel and with other Arab countries,” Govrin argued.

Other former Israeli officials have made similar remarks in recent years and months.

Issawi Frej, former Minister for Regional Cooperation, also said last year that Morocco is the country with the most potential to facilitate dialogue between Israel and Palestine, pointing out that the North African country shares good diplomatic ties with both parties of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Morocco’s efforts for regional peace have also been commended in the international community, including by many prominent voices in the US.

Last week, on October 12, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita about the situation in Palestine.

According to a readout published by the US State Department, Blinken and Bourita “discussed efforts to prevent a regional escalation and secure the release of hostages. The Secretary praised King Mohammed VI’s commitment to peace and security in the region and welcomed continued close cooperation between Morocco and the United States.”