The Abraham Accords are under jeopardy as Israel’s brutal retaliation to Hamas’s attack has put Arab nations under pressure to publicly cut ties with Israel, thereby testing the foundation of these agreements.
Driss El Guenbouri, a political analyst, expressed concerns about the impact of the ongoing war of Israel on Palestinians on the Abraham Accords.
“The war of Israel on Palestine has indeed put the Abraham Accords in jeopardy, and Israel is responsible for that because of its crimes against humanity and violations of international law.”
Expanding on Morocco’s initial intentions upon signing the Abraham Accords, El Guenbouri pointed out that “Morocco entered into the Abraham Accords with sincere and benevolent intentions, driven by the belief that Israel would pursue peace, uphold the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and protect the rights of the Palestinian people.”
However, the expert expressed disappointment that Israel’s actions had contradicted these initial expectations, deeming it “an insult to not only the Arab nations but also specifically to those who signed the Abraham Accords. Because of that Morocco will definitely benefit from severing ties with Israel”
The expert highlighted a stark revelation resulting from Israel’s brutal response noting that “Israel’s recent and harsh retaliation has unveiled surprising weaknesses such as its sham military force which was shaken by a small resistance group operating in a confined geography which is Gaza.”
Underlining the potential consequences of this war and whether it might jeopardine Morocco’s interests, the expert said “Israel is unable to protect its own borders and so it cannot safeguard the interests of other countries, including Morocco. When a country fails to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, it will fall short in protecting the rights of people in other countries.”
El Guenbouri expressed reservations about the role of the United States in the ongoing conflict saying that “while Morocco entered the US-led Abraham Accords with positive intentions, the trajectory of United States policy appears unpromising for the future, neither for Morocco nor the broader Arab world.”
El Guenbouri elaborated on Morocco’s stance asserting that “Morocco’s position hinges on the resolution of the ongoing conflict. The conclusion of this war will significantly influence Morocco’s course of action. It is possible that Morocco may sever ties with Israel, echoing a move made in the late 1990s when King Mohammed VI closed the Israeli communication bureau, suspended diplomatic relations, and initiated several diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
El Guenbouri said that “Morocco has strived to maintain a balanced approach, but if tensions escalate beyond manageable thresholds, Morocco may find it necessary to reconsider its relationships with Israel”
Regarding the future of the Abraham Accords and the Israeli-Moroccan relationships, an expert on foreign affairs who wished to remain anonymous told MoroccoLatestNews that “Morocco prioritizes the interests and concerns of its citizens. Any relations with Israel are likely to be put on hold for the time being.”
The same source added that Morocco had been making positive progress in its relations with Israel, particularly after Israel recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. However, Israel’s disproportionate response to the events since October 7th, including civilian casualties, has strained this progress and put Morocco in an embarrassing situation fot it to show any support or sympathy.
The expert remarked that instead of pursuing peace with Arab countries through the Abraham Accords, Israel should be focusing on achieving peace with the Palestinians.
According to the expert, Morocco was planning to hold a meeting with Israel in Dakhla before the events of October 7th. “this meeting would have been significant, considering it was scheduled to take place in the Sahara,” he said.
Regarding Morocco’s future approach towards this conflict, the expert said that Morocco is distant from the Middle East conflicts, and its primary focus is the Sahara issue.
The expert further added that once the conflict subsides, Morocco can resume its peace efforts with both Israel and Palestine. Morocco’s approach toward Israel in the future will take into account the preferences of Moroccans, the Sahara issue, and what aligns with Morocco’s interests..
“After the war ends, Morocco may engage in discussions with Israel about the future of Palestine, which has always been of paramount importance to Morocco and its people,” said the expert.
It’s worth noting that Morocco renewed diplomatic relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States. In December 2020, Israel and Morocco rekindled their ties with a commitment to enhancing cooperation across various domains, with the US recognizing Morocco’s claim over its Sahara.
The Abraham Accords initially entailed the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Israel and Bahrain.
However, these agreements received a blow when Bahrain, one of the Accords’ signatories, announced the recall of its ambassador from Tel Aviv, prompting the Israeli ambassador to leave in protest. Bahrain also suspended economic cooperation with Israel, citing its involvement in the Gaza conflict.