King of Morocco rebukes “Justice and Development” party.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the Moroccan Royal Court, King Mohammed VI reprimanded the Islamist Justice and Development Party for exceeding the limits by intervening in the Kingdom’s foreign policy.
The statement from the Royal Court, issued today on Monday, responds to the Islamist party’s statement “which includes some irresponsible excesses and dangerous falsehoods regarding the relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel, and linking them to the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
The statement from the Royal Court emphasized that Morocco’s position on the Palestinian issue is irreversible and is among the priorities of King Mohammed VI’s foreign policy, which he has placed at the same level as the issue of the Kingdom’s territorial unity.
The statement considered that “this principled and consistent position of Morocco is not subject to political bidding or narrow electoral campaigns,” in reference to the statement by the Islamist Justice and Development Party.
In a rebuke to the Islamist party, the Royal Court noted that “Morocco’s foreign policy is the responsibility of King Mohammed VI by virtue of the Constitution, and he manages it based on national constants and the higher interests of the country, led by the issue of territorial unity.”
The Royal statement rejected that Morocco’s international relations “be a subject of blackmail by anyone, for any reason, especially in this complex international context.”
In a clear reference to the Moroccan “Muslim Brotherhood” party, the Royal Court rejected “exploiting the Kingdom’s foreign policy in an internal partisan agenda, which constitutes a dangerous and unacceptable precedent.”
The statement mentioned that “the resumption of relations between Morocco and Israel was carried out under known conditions and in a context that is known to everyone, framed by the statement issued by the Royal Court on December 10, 2020, and the statement that was published on the same day following the telephone call between King Mohammed VI and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.”
In addition, the statement mentioned that “the resumption of relations between Morocco and Israel was done under known circumstances, in a context that everyone is aware of, and is framed by the statement issued by the Royal Palace on December 10, 2020, and the tripartite declaration signed in front of the King on December 22, 2020. The decision was communicated at that time to the living forces of the nation, political parties, some leadership figures, and some civil society organizations concerned with the Palestinian issue, who expressed their engagement and commitment to it.”
Last week, the General Secretariat of the “Justice and Development” party, which led the Moroccan government in two previous terms, issued a statement criticizing Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, accusing him of defending Israel “in some African and European meetings” without condemning its practices in Palestine.