When the Moroccan King normalises with israel: "Yawn"

LE BREAKDOWN With Yasser Louati

Lara Elborno reminds us why she is more defiant than ever.

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Paris based Palestinian-American Lawyer Lara Elborno joined Le Breakdown with Yasser Louati to give her comment and analysis on the recent wave of normalization between Arab Nations and israel.

The recent announcement made by Trump in regards to the “deal” between Morocco and israel came as a shock for many in France. Unlike Middle Eastern countries, Morocco is closer to us and its decision “hits differently” for many. “Betrayal” is the term often used to describe these relations with the israel occupier of Palestine but for Lara Elborno’s reaction was cold defiance: “We’ve been struggling for over a century”.

Yet Morocco’s move came at a cheap price (3 billion dollars in investments that would benefit King Mohammed VI’s businesses) but also sets an extremly dangerous precedent. In return of establishing official ties with israel, Donal Trump unilaterally recognized Morocco’s full sovereigntly over the Western Sahara which has been fightigin for independence since the 1970’s and remains the last colony in Africa.

How will this affect support for Palestine in France and will this precedent actually create a unique situation where Morocco finds itself on the side of israel against its own people whom have called out the king’s decision?

Furthermore, as israeli networks have heavily fuelled islamophobia in France and as israel has been a supporter of authoritarian if not fasicst regimes (Bolsonaro in Brazil, Orban in Hungary, the military Junta in Burma, Modi in India etc…), Lara reminds us why it is important to connect struggles and not separate them as is often demanded by governments. The recent wave of Black Lives Matter marches around the world have given an example of international solidarity between marginalized communities and occupied Palestinians. Will this encompass the forgotten Western Sahara?

In this episode, Lara Elborno deciphered legal consequences for such normalization but also what it would mean for her as a Palestinian woman for the future.