Morocco: pro-Palestine activists to protest Israeli warship 'docking' in Tangier port

In Morocco, pro-Palestine activists are set to take to the streets in protest of the alleged docking of an Israeli ship in Tangier port amid Tel Aviv's war on Gaza.

"The new Israeli Navy landing ship INS Komemiyut docked at the port of Tangier, Morocco, for supplies while sailing from the United States to Israel," revealed the Israeli newspaper Globes last week.

In early June, Israel's INS Komemiyut made a technical stop at the Tangier Med port during its journey from Pascagoula, Mississippi, in the United States to the naval base in Haifa, according to Israeli media.  "At this stage in the voyage, the vessel turned off its position transponder," added Globes' report.

The ship's stop in Morocco was used to refuel and replenish food supplies necessary for its crew, composed of dozens of naval combat soldiers, stated Moroccan media outlet Le Desk.

"The INS Nachshon, which arrived in Haifa last September, also docked in Morocco on its way," added Le Desk.

Rabat has yet to comment on the alleged docking of Israeli ships at its ports.

But for the anti-normalisation activists in the North African kingdom, Rabat’s silence vis-à-vis the news is already a confirmation of the Israeli reports.

"Allowing the Israeli warship to dock is, unfortunately, a participation in the genocide of the Palestinian people, and support to the Israeli aggression on Gaza," said Mohamed El-Ghafry, coordinator of the Moroccan Front Against Normalisation.

In a press release, the front deemed "turning a blind eye to the passage of such ships" as a "violation of the International Court of Justice's decision following South Africa's lawsuit against Israel" and "a compromise of our national sovereignty."

In May, Spanish authorities refused a ship carrying weapons for Israel permission to dock at one of the country's ports.

Madrid said this would be a consistent policy with any ship carrying arms to Israel that wants to call at Spanish ports.

"The foreign ministry will systematically reject such stopovers for one obvious reason: the Middle East does not need more weapons, it needs more peace," said Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares in May.

The distance between Tangier Port and the closest port in Spain, which is Algeciras, is approximately 14 kilometres (about 9 miles) across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Late on Tuesday, 25 June, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists are set to gather in front of the parliament to protest Rabat's "blatant disregard for the will of the Moroccan people who reject all forms of normalisation with the criminal Zionist entity."

Since last October, Morocco has witnessed weekly anti-normalisation protests as anti-Israeli sentiments run high among the North African population amid Tel Aviv's genocide in Gaza.

In January, the Moroccan government declined to receive a petition, endorsed by over 10,000 signatures, urging the reversal of normalisation with Israel.

Amid the unravelling war in Gaza, Rabat has officially denounced Israel's "flagrant violations of the provisions of international law" in its war against Hamas and called for an immediate ceasefire.

However, a source from the Moroccan foreign ministry confirmed in March to Reuters Rabat's ongoing normalisation with Israel, emphasising its "benefits" in advocating for the Palestinian people and securing humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 37,000 people, mostly civilians. The UN said there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the Israeli commission of the crime of genocide has been met.

Hamas also took about 250 hostages on 7 October, of whom 124 remain held in Gaza, including 37 the Israeli military says are dead.