3 Moroccan beIN Sports Journalists Respond to Derradji’s Morocco-Bashing

Rabat – A group of Moroccan journalists at the beIN Sports network responded to Algerian sports commentator Hafid Derradji, slamming him for his hostile remarks against Morocco.

Derradji took to his Twitter to share controversial remarks, interfering in Morocco’s domestic affairs.

In strong-worded statements, the journalist called Moroccan officials zionists after the Morocco-Israeli rapprochement and requested Algeria to maintain the border closure between Rabat and Algiers.

The journalist also claimed that Morocco did not send aid to his country, completely disregarding the fact that it was Algerian President Tebboune who ignored Morocco’s offer to dispatch two firefighting aircrafts to assist Algeria as the country battled to put out raging forest fires.

In response to Derradji’s controversial remarks, the Moroccan journalists from the Qatari network reminded the Algerian commentator that Morocco is a “red line.”

“Who told you in the first place that we want to open borders with people like you?” beIN sports journalist Mohammed Ammor said in a response to Derradji’s post.

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The journalist emphasized that King Mohammed VI called for the reopening of borders for reasons that “you cannot understand.”

In his attempt to demonstrate his commitment to the Palestinian cause, Derradji has verbally attacked Morocco repeatedly since the country’s decision to re-establish ties with Israel.

However, critics maintain that much of the Algerian journalist’s pro-Palestine activism on social media is without substance and is mainly used to justify the vicious verbal attacks on Morocco. “The Palestinian cause, what have you done for it, except parrot for the obsolete Boumedinian slogans,” Ammor said, suggesting that Derradji is a mouthpiece of the Algerian regime’s deep-seated hostility towards Moroccan interests.

Ahead of the signing of the tripartite declaration to officilize the Israeli-Morocco restablishement of ties last December, Morocco made it clear that its position on the Palestinian cause will remain unchanged.

King Mohammed VI emphasized that his country stands by the Palestinian people, and called for a two-state solution that will guarantee the independence of the Palestinian people.

Amine Sebti, another Moroccan beIN Sports journalist, joined Ammor in slamming Derradji and the ongoing anti-Rabat campaign that pro-Algerian military activists have initiated on social media.

“I have previously written on the topic of responding to those who attack my country and are trying to spread their poison for known goals, and I am ready to respond again,” Sebti said in a Facebook post.

The journalist emphasized that while Derradji is involved in the Algerian military regime’s campaign aimed at disseminating hostile remarks against Morocco, none of the Moroccan journalists who have responded to his Morocco-bashing are working for a specific party.

“We started from the bottom and climbed up the stairs until we reached what we have reached today,” Sebti added.

Youssef Aitelhaj, another Moroccan journalist at the Qatari network, made a similar remark, saying he refuses to allow anyone to speak negatively about his country.

The beIN journalists’ response to Derradji’s comments followed an internet campaign that recently emerged to end hostility coming from the Algerian journalist.

Foreign policy expert Samir Bennis called on all Moroccans to use hashtag “Derradjicrossedlines” to denounce the journalist’s entrenched hostility toward Morocco.

The Moroccan analyst also called attention to Derradji’s involvement with the Algerian military regime, which is known for its determination to undermine Moroccan interests, including the country’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.

Bennis also shared a screenshot of a 2016 newspaper article featuring Derradji thanking controversial Algerian General Toufik. A retired senior and revered officer of the Algerian army, Toufik is one of the top Algerian generals who have been vilified by the Algerian people throughout Hirak, the anti-establishment movement in the country.

In his 2016 article, however, Derradji paid tribute to the general for what he described as his exemplary public service and his steadfast commitment to the Algerian Republic. “I will not hesitate to offer you my thanks for all that you have done for Algeria for over two decades and that you always say this: “He is the president, you have to respect his decisions,” Deraddji wrote.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”ar” dir=”rtl”>صورة للصحفي العميل حفيظ الدراجي يشكر الجنرال التوفيق على "الرحيل" من السلطة ويشكره على صموده وكفاحه من أجل الشعب الجزائري. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%8A_%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%89_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#دراجي_تعدى_الحدود</a> <a href=”https://t.co/oUHyB6NlpX”>https://t.co/oUHyB6NlpX</a></p>— Samir Bennis (@SamirBennis) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SamirBennis/status/1426327416578973699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Thousands of Moroccans and non-Moroccans alike are now using the hashtag, with some of them calling for beIN Sports to sanction Derradji for his hostile remarks.

Several others have asked for a lawsuit to be filed against the Algerian journalist.