Palestinian culture minister Imad Hamdan visits Morocco on first visit since start of Israel's war on Gaza

Palestinian Culture Minister Imad Hamdan has arrived in Morocco, marking the first official Palestinian visit to an Abraham Accords signatory state since the start of the 7 October Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Over the weekend, Hamdan met with his Moroccan counterpart Mehdi Bensaid during a visit to the headquarters of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency in the capital Rabat.

Established in 1998, Bayt Mal Al Quds Acharif is an agency dedicated to preserving the cultural and historical heritage of Jerusalem and supporting its population. The agency reports to the Al Quds Committee, chaired by Moroccan King Mohammed VI.

According to a report from Morocco's state news agency (MAP), which had exclusive coverage of the meeting, Hamdan and Bensaid briefly touched on the war in Gaza, focusing instead on exchanging "cultural expertise."

"The Palestinian Minister of Culture expressed his gratitude to King Mohammed VI (...) and the Moroccan people for their steadfast support for the Palestinian cause," added the MAP report.

No press conferences were held following the ministers' meeting.

Hamdan's visit marks the first official Palestinian trip to the North African Kingdom since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has claimed over 40,000 lives in the Strip.

Since 7 October, Rabat has repeatedly condemned Israel's "flagrant violations of international law" in its war against the Palestinian armed group of Hamas.

However, local pro-Palestine activists continue to pressure Rabat for a stronger stance, including condemning Israeli actions as a genocide and revoking normalisation with Tel Aviv.

Last November, former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called on Moroccans to pressure King Mohammed VI to end his country's normalisation deal with Israel amid the Gaza war.

Morocco's normalisation with Israel

Morocco and Israel normalised ties in December 2020 in exchange for US recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Despite normalisation, Palestinian officials have continued to visit the North African Kingdom, including Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh in 2021. "The King promised that efforts to entrench sovereignty over Western Sahara would not be at the expense of the Palestinian people," then-Prime Minister Saad Dine El Otmani (Othmani) told Haniyeh.

For the past three years, Rabat has grappled with gaining public acceptance of the deal, as most Moroccans view loyalty to the Palestinian cause as a "moral duty."

Since 7 October, opposition to normalisation has grown stronger in Morocco, with unprecedented numbers of protesters marching weekly in solidarity with Palestinians' right to reclaim their land.

Despite the nationwide opposition, a source from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry confirmed to Reuters in March that Rabat is continuing its normalisation with Israel, arguing its benefits in advocating for the Palestinian cause.

Local media reports suggest that Rabat will soon reopen the Israeli liaison office in the capital–closed last year for security reasons–with a brand-new diplomatic delegation, including a Muslim-Israeli envoy.

Rabat has not yet confirmed the reports. Since the two states normalised ties in late 2020, Morocco has provided little to no communication on the details of its controversial relationship with Israel.