Morocco stands for Gaza…sort of.
Despite Morocco’s close ties with Israel, King Mohammed VI has authorized two specialized hospitals in Rabat to accept injured Palestinians for treatment. 200 Palestinians have been received at Mohammed V Military hospital and the Avicennes University Hospital Center (CHU) and are currently receiving treatment.
In addition to flying injured into Morocco, the Moroccan government has also been sending aid to Gaza via the Palestinian Red Crescent. And Moroccans have held a number of peaceful protests over the past two weeks, including one for children.
On the other hand, although the King is providing aid in solidarity with Gaza, he has hardly taken a stand against Israel. His actions have included “strongly condemning” the disproportionate response by Israel. Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Ambassador to the UN, called it “collective punishment” and “a flagrant breach of the international law,” but no Moroccan politician has suggested recalling the Moroccan ambassador to Israel or making demands. Wouldn’t want to rock the boat and lose the vacance income…
Meanwhile, the Moroccan public hacks Israeli web sites and shows up 50,000 strong to protests for Gaza, exemplifying yet again the disconnect between the Moroccan monarch and his people.
