Moroccan MPs cancel planned trip to Israel: report

Taroudant- According to the Jerusalem Post, four Moroccan MPs cancelled their planned trip to Israel as part of a Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), after facing criticism from the Moroccan media.

The Moroccan legislators “were supposed to visit the Knesset, but turned back after being attacked by local media,” wrote the Israeli newspaper.

“It’s unfortunate that the MPs from Morocco didn’t visit. We made great efforts and looked forward to their arrival,” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein told PAM President Francesco Amoruso and representatives from Egypt, Italy, Portugal, France and Monaco, as quoted by the Israeli newspaper.

The Knesset Speaker said that political and diplomatic issues were not listed on the agenda of the visit of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, and “the group came to Israel to discuss joint interests related to the environment, energy, water and transportation.”

On the part of the Moroccan government, the decision of the Moroccan representatives has not yet been commented upon.

Travelling to Israel is not an appreciated act in Morocco and usually sparks social discontent and criticism if carried on official level.

It is worth to mention that the PJD has come under harsh criticism when its invited the Israeli activist Ofer Bernstein to the Seventh National Congress of the Justice and Development Party last year. Bernstein was received along with Khaled Meshaal of Hamas by the Secretary General of the Party and the Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane.