Rabat – In a stark illustration of the widening chasm between the Moroccan monarchy’s strategic policies and the will of its people, the Moroccan regime continues to deepen its military and security integration with the Israeli occupation, even as massive popular protests erupt across the kingdom condemning these shameful normalisation agreements.
According to recent reports, Moroccan Military Industries (MMI), a subsidiary of the notorious Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, announced it will begin delivering armoured vehicle turrets to the Moroccan army in March 2027. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Marrakech Air Show by MMI Managing Director Kaduri Naor. The Israeli-linked firm is set to produce advanced turrets and related ammunition for 8x8 armoured vehicles, which are assembled locally by India’s Tata Motors.
Elbit Systems is one of the primary suppliers of the military hardware and technology used by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in its ongoing war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. By partnering with Elbit, the Moroccan regime is not only funding the Zionist war machine but also directly integrating the occupation’s military-industrial complex into its own national defense infrastructure.
The Moroccan-Israeli arms firm, which already operates a weapons systems facility near Casablanca and is constructing a second plant for ammunition manufacturing north of Rabat, is also developing a counter-drone turret and a self-propelled mortar system. In a move highlighting Rabat’s ambition to serve as a regional export hub for Israeli military technology, MMI’s managing director boasted that a European NATO member state will soon become an export customer for these Moroccan-produced, Israeli-designed weapons.
This aggressive push into military manufacturing and deepening security ties comes just weeks after Morocco and the Israeli entity agreed to upgrade their diplomatic representation to full embassy level. During a meeting in New York attended by US officials, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar finalised plans to exchange ambassadors, expand direct air links, and finalise investment protection agreements by the end of 2026.
However, the regime’s relentless march toward full integration with the Zionist entity has been met with fierce and sustained resistance from the Moroccan public.
Coinciding with the third anniversary of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, fierce demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine have swept through Moroccan cities. On Wednesday evening, large crowds gathered outside the Parliament in the capital, Rabat, in a powerful display of defiance. Organised by the Moroccan Front in Support of Palestine and Against Normalisation, protesters raised banners declaring “No normalisation, no compromise” and “The Moroccan people are with the resistance and against normalisation.”
Abdelhamid Amin, a leading member of the Moroccan Front, emphasised that the Palestinian cause has achieved unprecedented global prominence since the events of October 7, 2023. He reiterated that the Moroccan people remain steadfast in their solidarity with the Palestinian resistance and categorically reject the regime’s attempts to legitimise the occupation.
The demonstrations in Rabat are part of a continuous wave of protests demanding the immediate cancellation of the 2020 normalisation agreement. For the Moroccan people, the presence of Israeli weapons factories on their soil and the regime’s diplomatic appeasement of Tel Aviv are viewed as a profound betrayal of the Palestinian cause and Arab-Islamic principles.
As the Moroccan regime moves to cement its role as a key outpost for Israeli military exports and a strategic partner in the region, the streets of Rabat, Marrakech, and beyond continue to send a clear message: normalisation is a decision made by the palace, but it will never be accepted by the people.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen