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Doha – Hassan Kaabia, the deputy head of Israel’s Liaison Office in Rabat, has departed Morocco and returned to Israel, according to multiple converging reports.
The departure comes amid internal tensions within the diplomatic mission and following controversial statements about Palestine supporters.
Sources within the Israeli diplomatic mission in Rabat confirmed that Kaabia’s departure was officially attributed to “strictly personal reasons.”
However, reports indicate that his exit follows tensions with the office head, Yossi Ben-David, over differing approaches to public engagement and media relations.
The conflict between the two diplomats emerged when Ben-David, known for maintaining a low profile, expressed strong reservations about Kaabia’s frequent media appearances and public statements.
This led Ben-David to file a complaint with the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv against his deputy.
The situation was particularly complicated by Kaabia’s controversial remarks about Palestine supporters.
In October 2023, during Morocco’s national march in solidarity with the Palestinian people, Kaabia sparked widespread criticism by stating that “anyone who sympathizes with Hamas… is not human and has no connection to humanity.”
Kaabia, a Muslim Bedouin diplomat, had assumed the role of deputy chief in August 2024, succeeding the young Eyal David. This followed the reopening of the office after a ten-month closure due to the Gaza genocide.
Prior to this position, he served as the deputy spokesperson for Arab media at the Israeli Foreign Ministry and had a 25-year military career in the Israeli army.
The appointment of Ben-David as head of the liaison office was reportedly more political than diplomatic in nature.
Sources familiar with the situation note that Ben-David lacks diplomatic experience and maintains a cautious approach, rarely attending official events.
Following intervention from Tel Aviv, Kaabia, who had threatened to resign, was instructed to continue his administrative duties until the end of his assignment while maintaining a lower profile and avoiding public statements that might provoke Moroccan public opinion.
The liaison office maintains that its operations continue normally and remains committed to strengthening Israel-Morocco relations, though no information has been provided regarding potential candidates to succeed Kaabia.
This development comes at a sensitive time in Moroccan-Israeli relations, as public sentiment in Morocco continues to show strong solidarity with Palestinians amid Netanyahu’s ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza.
The Israeli Liaison Office in Rabat has previously faced challenges, including the controversial departure of former chief David Govrin amid allegations of sexual harassment and theft of gifts.
