Over 400 Protests Since October 7, 2023: Moroccan Students Stand Against Academic Normalization with the Zionist Entity

BY: Dr. Hana Saada  

Algiers, Algeria | October 31st, 2024 — In a remarkable show of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, the Union of Moroccan Students has organized more than 400 demonstrations opposing normalization with the Zionist entity since October 7, 2023. According to Saber Imdinine, Secretary General of the Union of Moroccan Students, this steady wave of student protests has effectively halted multiple academic initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between Moroccan universities and institutions in the Zionist entity, including the recent cancellation of a lecture by a Zionist academic at a Moroccan institution.

Speaking to the press, Imdinine emphasized that Moroccan students have consistently been at the forefront of supporting Palestinian rights, especially as the Zionist offensive against Palestinians escalates. “This ongoing movement has stopped normalization initiatives in their tracks and reinforced a profound commitment to the Palestinian cause among Moroccan students,” Imdinine stated. He further noted that the movement has played a crucial role in “freeing many students from the influence of pro-Zionist propaganda.”

The heightened awareness and activism of Moroccan students, Imdinine explained, has become a significant barrier to normalization efforts. “Thanks to the awareness and active participation of students in these marches, the normalization process between Morocco and the Zionist entity, particularly on academic fronts, has slowed significantly,” he affirmed. Imdinine referred to a recent event two weeks prior when students successfully prevented a scheduled lecture by a Zionist scholar at a Moroccan university.

Morocco’s renewed diplomatic relations with the Zionist entity in December 2020 sparked widespread public dissent, with students and the general public holding firm in their opposition. Diplomatic visits from high-level officials from the Zionist entity came to a halt with the recent escalation of violence in Gaza, while thousands of Moroccans, including students, took to the streets, calling for the annulment of all academic agreements with institutions in the Zionist entity.

Student resistance to normalization efforts has intensified over recent months. In June, 1,256 students and alumni from Mohammed VI Polytechnic University signed an appeal to their university president, demanding the cancellation of eight partnership agreements with universities and institutes in the Zionist entity. Similarly, in July, 1,182 students from the private Al Akhawayn University signed a petition condemning a peer visit to the Zionist entity, urging their fellow Moroccan students to “oppose all forms of normalization with the Zionist entity.”

As part of this movement, Moroccan students launched a general strike on October 7, with widespread participation across multiple universities and colleges, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause.

In parallel, the Student Renewal Organization hosted a conference on the dangers of normalization with the Zionist entity, where professors, researchers, and academics presented on “Morocco’s Normalization with the Zionist Entity: Risks and Means of Resistance,” underscoring the threats normalization poses amid the critical challenges facing the region.

This ongoing student-led movement reflects a growing opposition within Morocco against normalization with the Zionist entity, with young Moroccans leading a powerful call to action that resonates not only within academia but across the wider society. Moroccan students continue to hold firm in their conviction, with a unified voice against normalization that advocates for the protection of Palestinian rights and regional integrity in the face of increased regional and international challenges.

 

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