Moroccan-Dutch football star Hakim Ziyech slams Morocco for fueling Gaza genocide

Moroccan-Dutch footballer Hakim Ziyech has slammed Morocco’s government on Friday for its normalisation of ties with Israel, after condemning of the brutalisation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank

On Friday, the Galatasaray player reposted a video on social media platform Instagram which showed Israeli soldiers throwing the corpses of killed Palestinians off a roof in the town of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank.

At least seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on the town on Thursday.

The footage shared by Ziyech appeared to show an Israeli soldier pushing one of the deceased Palestinians’ bodies with his foot towards the edge of a rooftop, eventually throwing the body off the roof. 

Commenting on the video, Ziyech wrote, "Let’s make one thing clear . F*** Israel and every other country that supports this kind of behaviour. Free Palestine."

He went on to accuse Morocco of complicity with Israel in its oppression of Palestinians, pointing out that Morocco had maintained ties with Israel throughout the Gaza war.

In a follow-up post he said that his previous comments were specifically targeted towards "the government of our own country [Morocco] who supports genocide and all the countries that's supporting that."

"Shame on you. Enough is enough," he added. 

He also called on Moroccans across the country and people worldwide to amplify Palestinian voices and the Palestinian struggle.

Ziyech’s remarks in support of Palestine have sparked mixed reactions among his followers and the broader public.  

Many pro-Palestine advocates praised the footballer for using his platform to highlight the plight of Palestinians - given his influence as a well-know football star.

"A [person] who carried the Morocco national team on his back for years, and who has always stood his ground on questions of principle. Bravo," sports journalist Layla Hamed wrote in a post on X. 

However, other people argued that as a high-profile player, he should remain neutral and avoid engaging in political controversies. 

Shortly after the initial posts, Ziyech deleted his Instagram stories. 

Ziyech’s criticism of the Moroccan government comes amid growing pressure on the Moroccan government to reconsider its ties with Israel. 

Despite mounting public outrage in the North African nation over Israel's actions in Gaza, there has been no indication that the 2020 normalisation deal between Morocco and Israel will be reconsidered. 

 Since October 7, Morocco’s streets have witnessed consistent protests, with thousands demonstrating against Israel's actions and voicing dissatisfaction with their government's ties to Israel. 

Morocco normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered deal that also included the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.

In return, the US recognised Moroccan sovereignty claim over Western Sahara, a disputed territory, and Morocco received enhanced trade and investment relations with both the US and Israel.  

Israel's war on Gaza, now in its 12th month, has led to the killing of at least 41,391 Palestinians since last October.