Anti-normalization, nonviolent activism, and domestic interests: The Case of Morocco
Department
School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-31-2023
Embargo Period
8-21-2026
Abstract
Between August and December 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco announced US-brokered agreements with Israel whereby they established full diplomatic relations and effectively withdrew from the Arab Boycott of Israel that tied official relations to the resolution of the so-called Palestine Question. These announcements came as a surprise to Arab-Muslim publics, despite their awareness of informal relations between these states and Israel. Using the case of Morocco and drawing on nonviolent resistance literature, this paper investigates civil resistance to the December 2020. Moroccan-Israeli agreement by three Moroccan activist groupings–opposition leftists, Islamists, and boycott-focused groups. Through document analysis, webinars, and interviews, this study asks two related questions: to what extent do these groups use nonviolent tactics and strategies to resist the Moroccan-Israeli agreement and to what extent is the agreement the focus of protest activities versus serving as a rallying point for advancing calls for socio-political reform.
Journal Title
Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies
Journal ISSN
2325-484X
Volume
5
Issue
2
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
N/A
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