Algeria, Israel absent from a Morocco session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean

Rabat hosted a new session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) on Thursday. However, unlike previous editions held in Morocco, Israel and Algeria were notably absent.

Citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Knesset declined to send any members of parliament (MKs) to the meeting. An anonymous Israeli MP told Turkish media, «The war in Gaza makes it difficult for Israel to participate in these sessions».

Though officially absent due to their severed diplomatic relations with Morocco, Algeria attempted to influence the proceedings indirectly. Portuguese MEP Isabel Santos, reportedly acting on Algeria's behalf, proposed an amendment to the final declaration condemning «all occupations of territories by force», a veiled reference to the Western Sahara dispute. However, the Moroccan parliamentary delegation successfully blocked the amendment, and it was ultimately rejected.