RABAT: The Israeli and Morocco rapprochement, established over three years of normalized relations, has suffered a major setback after the ongoing deadly conflict in Gaza, where Israel has launched a genocide campaign against innocent Palestinians.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have reemerged in the streets of Morocco, responding to the rising death toll of nearly 15,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, in the Gaza Strip during the seven weeks of Israeli bombardment.
Amid security concerns, the Israeli liaison office in Rabat was reportedly evacuated last month. Israeli visitors are no longer seen in tourism hotspots like Marrakesh and Essaouira, and several restaurants catering to them have closed. Flights between the two countries have also been suspended since October 7.
Israeli Tourists Exodus from Morocco
The conflict has also prompted an exodus of Israeli tourists and investors from Morocco. Michel Cohen, the French-Israeli owner of a kosher restaurant in Marrakesh, noted the sudden departure of the Israeli community, stating, “Overnight, there was no one left. The Israelis that were there have left. They were very scared.”
Of the 14 kosher restaurants opened in Marrakesh since Morocco’s normalization of relations with Israel in 2020, 12 have closed in the aftermath of the conflict.
