Head of the former ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD) Abdelilah Benkirane has asked the members of the political party not to comment on the Royal Cabinet’s Monday statement on Morocco’s commitment to Palestine.
PJD published a short press release in which Benkirane instructed all members of the party “not to comment in any way on the statement” issued by the royal cabinet, until after a meeting by the party’s secretariat to discuss the issue.
The royal cabinet communique had criticized recent comments by the PJD’s leadership over Morocco’s position on the Palestinian cause.
Earlier in March, the party’s general secretariat took issue with Morocco’s approach to Palestine and notably accused the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Nasser Bourita, of defending Israel at regional and international meetings.
“The General Secretariat disapproves of the recent positions of the Foreign Minister who looked as if he was defending the Zionist entity in some African and European meetings, at a time when the Israeli occupation continues its criminal aggression on our Palestinian brothers, especially in Palestinian Nablus,” PJD’s statement read.
The royal cabinet responded by describing PJD’s claims as “irresponsibly excessive views” and “dangerous approximations,” stressing that Morocco’s principled support for the Palestinian cause “is irreversible.”
Commitment to the Palestinian cause “constitutes one of the priorities of the foreign policy of His Majesty the King, the Commander of the Faithful and Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, who places this issue on a par with the question of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity,” the communique said.
The statement went on to underline that Morocco’s principled position on the Palestinian question should not be open to “political posturing and narrow electoral campaigns,” adding that the country’s foreign relations cannot be the subject of “blackmail by anyone or for any consideration whatsoever.”
“The Kingdom’s foreign policy in a domestic partisan agenda thus constitutes dangerous, unacceptable precedent,” the communique noted.
Morocco has consistently made it clear that its position on Palestine is unchanged, the royal cabinet concluded, recalling that the country stressed its commitment to the Palestinians in the immediate aftermath of the resumption of relations between Morocco and Israel in December 2020 and has continued to do so over the two years.
Indeed, following the announcement of the resumption of ties between Israel and Morocco, King Mohammed VI held a phone conversation with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, reassuring him about Morocco’s “unchanged position” and emphasizing the North African country’s support for an independent Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.
PJD suffered a significant defeat in the 2021 legislative elections, losing to the Rally of Independents (RNI), Al Istiqlal, and Modernity and Authenticity Party (PAM) by a considerable margin.
The defeat pushed members of the increasingly sidelined former ruling party, including Benkirane, to question the legitimacy of the elections.
The PJD leader claimed that the vote “might have been directed by certain agents of authority.”
The situation prompted backlash, with the Ministry of Interior denying accusations questioning the credibility and neutrality of authorities during the elections.
The Interior Ministry accused the PJD leadership of engaging in “propaganda” and spreading “erroneous information.”
“The defamatory remarks are not up to the level of the serious political speech which the secretary general of a political party must demonstrate,” the ministry added, condemning Benkirane’s “malicious and unacceptable” allegations.
Against this charged backdrop, many think the PJD’s frustration at being sidelined after two decades in power explains its continued invoking of the Palestinian question. The goal, the party’s critics have maintained, is to stay relevant and reposition itself for future elections by claiming to be the only party that can uphold values and causes that Moroccans hold dear.
