Despite longing for a return to Palestine, Morocco becomes a second home for Palestinians seeking to rebuild their lives

Naser, a young Palestinian woman from Gaza, is one of many Palestinians who have come to Morocco to rebuild their lives.

Speaking at a World Refugee Day event hosted by UNHCR in June, her first words on stage were: “I am from Gaza and I am proud,” the room filled with applause.

She is not alone, over the years Palestinian refugees have come to Morocco, each with their triumphs and challenges that some have shared with The New Arab.

Naser’s journey from Gaza meant leaving the rest of her family and friends — it has been almost 14 years since she has seen them.

When Naser, her husband, and two young children arrived in Rabat, she looked to find an English Master’s programme that was not available in Morocco. So she began studying Law in French, a completely new language and degree. Now she is in the second year of her PhD and speaks fluent French.

Shortly after arriving, Naser quickly became a core member of the Orient-Occident Foundation, a non-profit supporting refugees in Morocco. She has also been growing her traditional Palestinian embroidery business.

“I learned embroidery back in Palestine at school, and my mum does it too, at first I was just making things for friends but I am trying to grow my business on social media,” she tells The New Arab. 

Although Morocco has become a second home, her past life in Palestine is full of the fondest memories.

“When I was in Gaza, we had our life, and we were happy, yes there was always the war and occupation but we had a good life there,” she continues. 

“All of my family are still in Palestine, I speak with them regularly and thank God, for now, they are okay and strong. My brother died recently in Palestine, and it has been very hard — he was only 23.”

Naser said faith is what is keeping her family going, “They believe God will make everything better, Insha’Allah (God Willing),” she added.

Naser has asked her parents to join her in Morocco, but they refuse, “They say Palestine is their country and they can’t leave it,” she explained.

To stay connected she FaceTimes with her mum, “I show her how to cook Moroccan dishes, like tajine or couscous.”  

It can be hard sometimes to feel close to Palestine as the community in Morocco is small and fragmented, she said. However, “We feel welcome because Moroccans love Palestinians and they are open towards us.”

Mohamed Salma has been living in Marrakech, Morocco since 2018, he started a business selling traditional Palestinian sweets and snacks in Marrakech.

Coming to Morocco and leaving Palestine is not something he feels proud of, he reflected on his pain: “I am Palestinian living in Morocco. However, regarding the success I have achieved, I do not see it as a success but a failure. A failure that comes with leaving my country behind,” he told The New Arab.

Mohamed is an example of the many left haunted by their forced displacement.

“There is no air more pure than the air of Palestine, no wife more beautiful than a Palestinian woman, no better upbringing for their children than among their tribes and traditions in Palestine."

He continues, "I am not a successful man with my achievements out of Palestine, this is not considered a success, but rather the pinnacle of failure – to leave one’s land to build and develop far from it, thereby helping the occupation to fill the void left by this man; God is the best to rely on in every situation.” 

Welcomed with love

Yasmine is half Moroccan and half Palestinian and during her time living in Marrakech she experienced first-hand how Moroccans have shown support for Palestine. 

“It was such a heartfelt experience when I explained I am half Moroccan and half Palestinian, I was always welcomed with so much love from Moroccans, whether it was people tearing up, empathising verbally, or with a hand on the shoulder.”

For Yasmine, “As an Arab being among Arabs that understand the conflict and can relate and empathise and that is on your team, so to speak, it is a feeling like no other.”

She told The New Arab: “Moroccans deserve credit not just for their empathy but for their impressive knowledge of Palestine’s history.

"They can come from any socio-economic background, and I am always so impressed by their amount of knowledge when it comes to Israel's war on Palestine. I think that is worth keeping in mind when we think about Palestinians migrating into Morocco.”

Turning emotion into action

Moroccans have proved their solidarity in many ways, some are turning their empathy into action, like Yassine Benjelloun, who runs Bake Sale for Palestine in Marrakech. 

The global charity which began in Paris, “aims to raise funds and foster a community united in helping innocent civilians in Palestine, one piece of cake at a time,” Yassine told The New Arab. 

It means more than just selling cakes, “It’s about building a movement," he explains.

"Many of us have felt powerless over the last 11 months, unsure of what we can do. While selling cakes might seem like a small gesture, and it certainly won’t erase all the suffering in Palestine, if we can organise Bake Sales in 50 cities or more worldwide, we’ll provide funds for Palestinians and an opportunity for people who care about human rights to gather and support each other,” he added.

'We struggle when we see people continuing with their lives'

“Politics have been incredibly disheartening this past year. Even here in Marrakech, we’ve experienced it,” said Yassine. He recalled some businesses have refused to host bake sales.

“Ultimately, it comes down to a sense of humanity. The real question is: Are we willing to prioritise the greater good over our interests?” 

Like much of the world, Yassine is horrified by the attacks on Palestine: “I believe historians will look back at this moment in time with shock. At Bake Sale for Palestine, we struggle when we see people continuing with their lives as if nothing is happening, posting about beach parties or summer BBQs. This is exactly what we mean by putting personal interests first.” 

"None of us are truly free until Palestine is free. It's a powerful and accurate statement. Everything is connected."

Giving back to refugees 

Raniya Fenniri from the Global Refugee Youth Network in Morocco, explained that integration is “crucial for refugees to adapt to their new life in a host country.” 

Under her role in capacity building, she has witnessed Palestinian students thrive.

“I know an artist who performs Palestinian dance and theatre, when I met him, he was dealing with common documentation issues faced by refugees here in Morocco. Despite these challenges, his work is well supported by the Moroccan public,” Raniya noted.

Raniya has been working with the Global Refugee Youth Network to develop activities for children and youth in Palestine.

“We were trying to coordinate with humanitarian workers on the ground, but the school got bombed and the situation escalated, we had to stop and there was nothing we could do,” she tells The New Arab. 

“The Moroccan public's reaction to support Palestine is characterised by deep compassion and a strong desire to help.”

However, frustration is prevalent, there is a sense of “helplessness and not being able to provide substantial aid to the Palestinian people. This feeling is deeply disheartening, however, we find joy and fulfilment when we can assist refugees here.”

Olivia Hooper is a British journalist based in Morocco specialising in humanitarian and gender-based topics and is the co-director of Politics4Her