Protest in Morocco Supports Footballer Hakim Ziyech and Palestine Against Normalization

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Morocco on Sunday in a show of solidarity with Palestinian footballer Hakim Ziyech and the Palestinian people, rallying under the banner of "The people want to topple normalization" in one of the latest public expressions of opposition to Rabat's diplomatic ties with Israel.

Protesters gathered in central Casablanca chanting against Morocco's 2020 normalization agreement with Israel, signed under the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States administration of Donald Trump. The deal, which saw Washington recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Rabat establishing full diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, has remained deeply unpopular among broad segments of Moroccan civil society.

Hakim Ziyech, the former Chelsea and current Galatasaray midfielder widely regarded as one of Morocco's most gifted footballers, has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity in the Arab world. He has repeatedly used his international platform to express support for Gaza and reject the normalization framework, drawing both admiration from pro-Palestinian activists and scrutiny from those aligned with the Moroccan government's foreign policy direction.

Sunday's protest reflects a broader wave of grassroots opposition across the Arab world as Israel's military campaign in Gaza continues into its nineteenth month. Rights organizations estimate the death toll in Gaza has surpassed fifty thousand, with vast swaths of the territory reduced to rubble. The relentless images of civilian suffering have reinvigorated anti-normalization movements from Rabat to Amman.

Qatar has consistently maintained that normalization with Israel cannot be separated from the question of Palestinian statehood. Doha has repeatedly called for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders and has channeled billions of dollars in humanitarian aid into Gaza through UN agencies and partner organizations. Qatari-mediated ceasefire negotiations have also kept diplomatic channels open even as fighting continues.

Moroccan civil society groups, including trade unions and Islamist-aligned political movements, have organized periodic demonstrations against normalization since the Abraham Accords were signed. Sunday's rally, however, drew particular energy from Ziyech's public stance, with many protesters carrying his image alongside Palestinian flags.

There was no immediate response from Moroccan government officials regarding the demonstration.