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Days after Morocco agreed to normalize ties with Israel in a deal brokered by the United States, the head of Morocco’s government has finally addressed the decision. Interviewed Tuesday by Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, Saadeddine El Othmani defended the Kingdom's position on the Palestinian question.
Addressing the Palestinian factions, El Othmani insisted that the Kingdom «has not abandoned the Palestinian cause», referring to the statement issued by the royal cabinet on December 10 and the phone call that brought together King Mohammed VI and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
«Morocco has principles when it comes to» this file «and it will remain faithful to its principles today and tomorrow, which is very important», he said. On this occasion, he welcomed the fact that the decree of the President of the United States constitutes a «major turning point and an unprecedented victory», which offers the Kingdom the opportunity to better devote itself from now on to supporting the Palestinian cause on the international scene.
Without going into details, he assured that «Morocco has a special line in the defense of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians». It should be noted that this approach advocated by El Othmani on the Qatari media has also been adopted by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to justify normalization with Israel.
Normalization with Israel is an «opening»
Very pragmatic, El Othmani conceded that sometimes «States are forced to make difficult decisions». Immediately after this admission, the reporter asked him if normalization with Israel was one of them. «Without a doubt. Otherwise, it would not have taken so long», he calmly replied.
El Othmani refused to describe the recognition of Morocco’s sovreignty over the Sahara as an «exchange» for the Trump administration and the resumption of relations with Israel. «We do not want the Sahara issue to be the subject of barter. However, the circumstances demanded that the victory in this battle coincide with the other opening», he said.
It is, moreover, the first time that El Othmani calls the resumption of relations with Israel as an «opening». A new position on the part of an Islamist who, a few months ago, shouted loud and clear that «normalization» with the Jewish state was a «red line not to be crossed».
Saadeddine El Othmani's interview with Al Jazeera comes days after his «brother» Mohamed Amekraz made controversial statements on a pro-Hezbollah channel. «Moroccans were surprised by the decision to normalize relations with Israel», he said, adding that the position of the youth faction of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) on this subject «and on the rest of the issues related to the Palestinian cause is clear and unambiguous».
