Rabat – Moroccan author and analyst Samir Bennis has responded to allegations made by Taleb Alisalem following their televised debate on Antena 3, in which Bennis challenged narratives targeting Morocco over the ongoing situation in Ceuta.
Alisalem took to social media to claim that the Moroccan analyst told him, “We will kill you, you sons of b**,” when they were leaving the studio following the televised debate.
Bennis rejected the allegation, describing it as false and seriously defamatory.
The allegation came after Bennis had become increasingly vocal in Spanish and Moroccan media, challenging hostile narratives targeting Morocco, particularly following the mass crossings of July 30-31 into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Since the mass crossing, which involved tens of thousands of Moroccan migrants, Bennis has been countering allegations and claims made by Spanish news outlets and some activists, particularly those promoting anti-Moroccan rhetoric and sentiment.
Bennis has particularly challenged narratives pushed by far-right figures and allied voices that seek to weaponize the Ceuta crisis to intensify pressure on Rabat, amplify hostile narratives, and cast Morocco in the most damaging possible light.
His televised debate with Alisalem was part of these broader exchanges, with Bennis directly confronting arguments and rhetoric targeting Morocco and questioning the narratives being promoted in Spanish public debate.
Bennis wrote that the accusations targeting him come from a person who “has gained considerable visibility in many Spanish media outlets and who, just six weeks ago, publicly used extremely aggressive rhetoric against Morocco, advocating for its economic and political destruction.”
Bennis argued that the remarks of Alisalem, who is also a pro-Polisario activist, as well as his political links with the far right are “matters of public record that should be examined in their context, particularly at a time when we are witnessing a worrying climate of hostility toward Morocco and Moroccans.”
The political analyst stated that it is not part of his upbringing “to insult or defame anyone,” recalling how his parents gave him the best education they could, saying that he learned from them how disagreements, even the deepest ones, should be addressed with arguments and not personal attacks.
Bennis also expressed his commitment to continue defending Morocco “because I believe in the justice of what I defend,” emphasizing that he is “no one’s pawn,” nor does he need anyone to tell him what he should think or say.
Stressing that disagreements are not a reason for personal attacks or insults, Bennis said that no one has the right to attempt to destroy his reputation through false accusations.
He also called on Spanish authorities to pay attention to the growing deterioration of public debate surrounding Morocco and Moroccans, stating that freedom of expression protects criticism, including “the harshest criticism, but it should not become a license to defame, single out specific individuals, or fuel a climate of hostility that could ultimately endanger coexistence between Spaniards and Moroccans.”
