Morocco: Protests opposing the normalization of relations with Israel are possible across the country through at least Dec. 15

Event

Protests denouncing the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel are possible across the country through at least Dec. 15. US President Donald J. Trump announced that Israel and Morocco had agreed to resume full diplomatic relations on Dec. 10. Additionally, Trump stated that he signed a proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Demonstrations and protests are likely across the country near gathering locations, such as prominent public squares, city centers, and government buildings. In Rabat, protests will likely occur outside the US Embassy and the country's Parliament. Heightened security measures and localized transport disruptions are likely near all protests.

Context

Morocco has become the fourth Arab state in 2020 to agree to resume diplomatic relations with Israel following the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan. While Morocco and Israel will begin diplomatic liaisons in Tel Aviv and Rabat immediately, the two countries will open consulates and embassies at a later date. Morocco has also agreed to grant overflights of its airspace and direct commercial flights to and from Israel for all Israeli citizens.

Western Sahara is a former Spanish protectorate. Morocco, which has been controlling the region since 1975, was engaged in an armed conflict with the Polisario Front until 1991, when the UN brokered a ceasefire and established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) peacekeeping mission. Tensions, however, have heightened in recent weeks after Rabat launched a military operation in the disputed territory's disputed buffer zone of El Guerguerat Nov. 13.

Morocco maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of its territory and is determined to retain sovereignty over the disputed territory. Morocco controls nearly 80-percent of the territory, while the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) controls the remainder of the territory from a government-in-exile in Algeria's Tindouf Province. The SADR receives support from Algiers in its mission to secure independence from Morocco and establish a sovereign country in the territory.

Advice

Avoid all announced or spontaneous protests as a standard security precaution. Exercise caution near likely protest locations. Monitor local media for protest activity, as organizers may not announce plans in advance. Confirm the availability of transport and allow additional time to reach destinations. Plan for increased security and localized transport disruptions near demonstrations. Follow all police instructions.