Rabat – Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary-General of Justice and Development Party (PJD), has launched strong-worded criticism against supporters of Israel, warning against Israeli threats not just to Palestine, but to the broader region.
Benkirane made his remarks during the 19th National Forum of the PJD’s youth wing, which kicked off during the weekend.
“Today, we are no longer facing the ‘Israel’ that only wanted Palestine, the West Bank, or Gaza. Today we are facing an Israel that wants half of Egypt, access to the Nile, and also Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and part of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
He also criticized the international campaign that holds the motto “we are all Israelis,” emphasizing that they are only safe because they are “not facing Israeli aggression.”
The PJD leader also expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the Moroccan government’s “failure to halt normalization of ties” with Israel, but stressed that the national duty is to participate in all protest sit-ins in favor of Palestine.
He also thanked the youth for choosing PJD – “a party ranked at the bottom of parliament.”
“You chose a party that everyone sees as obstructed, monitored, and struggling even to access its basic rights,” he said.
Benkirane also criticized the government coalition, saying that there are other parties “with festivals, concerns, and frivolity- the kind of things young people naturally turn to when they are not disciplined- but those offer no real value.”
Benkirane has been vocal against Morocco’s relations with Israel since Rabat decided to re-establish diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv in December 2020.
The PJD leader has also frequently issued statements regarding the genocidal war launched by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in October 2023.
Earlier this month, Benkirane called on Arab leaders to take a stronger stance against Israel.
He said Israel’s actions not only endanger citizens but also the stability of Arab thrones and leadership positions.
“We didn’t ask our Arab presidents, our kings, our princes to declare war on Israel… At the very least, these people should cut diplomatic relations. They haven’t even cut diplomatic ties; they just recall ambassadors and fire protests,” Benkirane said.
He also reiterated that no country is safe from Israel, referring to the situation in Lebanon and Syria.
