Marrakech – A petition launched on Change.org is calling for “Zionist” students from Al Akhawayn University (AUI) to be prevented from returning to the institution after participating in an event in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The controversial trip was organized by the “Sharaka Foundation” in partnership with the “Morocco of Coexistence” association. The trip aimed to promote “tolerance, coexistence, and peace” between Israel and Morocco, the foundation said in a statement to Morocco World News (MWN).
In particular, the statement described the delegation’s presence in Tel Aviv as “a courageous statement in support of Jewish-Muslim coexistence, especially during a time of heightened tension in the Arab and Muslim world.”
The initiator of the petition, AUI student Hiba Cherif Idrissi El Ganouni, strongly disagrees with the Foundation’s rosy characterization of the controversial trip. For her, condoning disingenuous talks of Arab-Israeli peace that let the Israeli army’s murderous war on Gazans off the hook amounts to a betrayal of common decency and humanity’s shared moral values.
In the petition, which has garnered over 1,500 signatures so far, Hiba seemed to argue that the trip was a blatant violation of AUI’s moral compass and constituted an attempt to whitewash the unfolding tragedy in Gaza.
“Some students from AUI are participating in an ‘activism’ event in Tel Aviv, Israel (PALESTINE). They are proudly taking a stance which goes against all morals and values that we are taught here at AUI,” she wrote. “Those students should be held accountable for tarnishing the reputation of, not only AUIers, but of all Moroccans as well.”
The petition has since gained widespread support on social media, with many Moroccans expressing their support for the Palestinian cause and denouncing the students’ visit to Israel. “Not in OUR name,” commented student Soukaina Gadir on the petition page.
Another signatory, student Nabil Nabil, wrote: “I hate that I have to feel so powerless in the face of the cruelty of the Zionist regime and the apathy of ours.”
The voice behind the AUI petition
In an interview with MWN, Hiba shared her thoughts on the petition and the situation at AUI.
“The student community at AUI has been nothing but vocal about their support to Palestine, and to say that we are disappointed is an understatement of how we truly feel,” she said.
“In a world where people are going on strike within their universities and putting their life and career on the line in support for Palestine, we, AUIers, have learned that some of our classmates stand with Israel,” she added. “What is even more shocking is that those same people were supposedly pro-Palestine in the past, so what changed and why?”
Hiba explained her motivation behind the movement. “I created that petition in order to show that the student community at AUI does not in any way, shape, or form support the actions of said classmates. I wanted to be differentiated from those people, as they do not represent who we are and what we believe in.”
“Their behavior also does not align with the morals and values that AUI ingrains in each and everyone of us. Through this petition, I wanted to give a voice to the students, myself included, and to take a stance,” she added.
Hiba also emphasized her stance on violence.
“I do not condone any kind of violent behaviors; neither towards those who went to Israel, nor to those of us who are against what they did,” she said.
The Israel trip has provoked widespread anger across Morocco.
Listening to Hiba and reading the comments below the fold, it seems that the driving force behind the groundswell of public outrage is a sense of incomprehension and shock.
Critics of the controversial trip have especially taken issue with the fact that it comes at a time when the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) are waging a deadly war on Gaza that has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians and injured another 89,364.
AUI community reacts: ‘Not in Our Name’
Speaking to MWN, another student from AUI, who prefers to remain anonymous, shared insights into the petition.
The AUI community, he said, quickly voiced their disapproval upon learning about the visit through an article posted by The Jerusalem Post that mentioned their university by name.
“When the article came out showing some Moroccan students visiting Israel, most of the AUI community immediately voiced their disapproval. This sentiment was clear from numerous Facebook posts in our community group and on personal accounts,” the student said.
The community flooded the school administration with emails, he said, demanding they address the situation. However, the administration did not issue a public response as they were not directly involved in the visit.
In reaction, Idrissi set up the student petition to rally the AUI community, which quickly gained traction.
“Our main goal with this petition is to distance ourselves from the actions of these students, especially after ‘The Jerusalem Post’ mentioned our university by name. This mention further galvanized our community, as we strongly reject any association with the actions of these students, especially we reject being mentioned in a Zionist newspaper,” the student emphasized.
The student acknowledged that while they don’t necessarily expect AUI to expel the students involved, as it was a personal action, the petition has made the community’s stance clear to take a firm stand against their actions.
“We often receive communications from school administration on the importance of upholding the image of the University vis-a-vis the public, and many of us believe the actions of these students have caused more harm to the reputation of the school than anything,” the student concluded.
In the same vein, another student told MWN, “I believe that this petition is the least we can do as AUI students to show how we reject any Zionist individual or institution. It is very important to communicate the want of expulsion of these individuals, signed by almost 1,500 students, to the general public, and most importantly to our university.”
The student went on to criticize the participants of the trip, stating, “These students dare to call themselves pacifists and peacemakers, when in reality they do not stand for anything and only care about their self-absorbed interests and LinkedIn posts.”
Promoting ‘peace’?
In response to the controversy, the Sharaka Foundation has stood by its original portrayal of the trip as an initiative to “promote” Arab-Israeli reconciliation and peace.
The itinerary of the trip included visits to historic and holy sites in Jerusalem (Al Quds), meetings with community leaders, and engagement with Israel’s high-tech scene, the foundation said in its statement to MWN.
The visit also included a visit to Yad VaShem, Israel’s national Holocaust Museum and educational institute, where participants delved into the history of the Holocaust and the importance of promoting tolerance to counter extremism.
The foundation said that the visit aimed to “foster a deeper understanding of historical atrocities and the need for mutual respect and coexistence” through educational engagements and interactions with survivors and security experts.
The foundation further added that social events, such as a mega event hosted by the Moroccan Jewish community in Israel as well as meetings with influencers, students, and government officials, were designed to “build lasting international friendships and networks that support peace and collaboration.”
Ill-timed visit amidst Israel’s war on Gaza
However, the videos of the students partying with Israelis and meeting with officials have caused uproar among Moroccans back home. Several protesters criticized Moroccan authorities for not recalling the group in protest considering Israel’s massive war crimes and crimes against humanity against defenseless civilians in Gaza.
Commenting on this, a senior AUI undergraduate student emphasized in a statement to MWN the need for academic institutions to raise awareness and engage in dialogue with students.
“Since this anger originates from an academic environment, institutions should emphasize the need to raise awareness. One might expect Moroccan students, who are often deeply involved in the Palestinian cause, to have a particular stance, but this visit revealed otherwise,” the student said.
“The reason why I would focus on raising awareness is because the way this visit was publicized likely provoked the anger and violence from students,” the student explained.
The senior further added, “While the visit was indeed ill-timed and ‘mal à droite’ given the current and ongoing war, I do not believe expulsion of the students is warranted. Instead, we should reexamine the situation and explore other possible responses.”
The controversy comes as the sentiment against Israeli-Morocco relations is heavily on the rise in Morocco. Students and professors at several Moroccan universities are mobilizing to demand an end to partnerships with Israeli academic institutions.
Similar petitions are circulating at other top Moroccan schools that have entered into cooperation agreements with Israel following the resumption of diplomatic relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv in late 2020. But protesters say that these university partnerships are mostly empty or politically motivated.
The mounting opposition within universities reflects the growing disillusionment among Moroccans with the government’s rapprochement with Israel as the Palestinian death toll soars in Gaza.
Weekly demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians have taken place in cities across the North African country since October 7, with many demanding an end to diplomatic ties with Israel.
It remains to be seen how Moroccan officials will respond to these grassroots pressure campaigns.
Read also: Outrage in Morocco as Dean Refuses to Extend Award to Student Wearing Palestinian Keffiyeh
