Benkirane: A categorical rejection of normalization with Israel after the embassy agreement

The General Secretariat of the Justice and Development Party held an urgent and extraordinary meeting remotely on Thursday morning, September 17, 2026, chaired by Secretary-General Abdelilah Benkirane, to discuss the news circulating about raising the level of diplomatic representation between Morocco and Israel from two liaison offices to two full embassies. A communiqué issued by the General Secretariat confirmed that the party's position on relations with Israel is "firm and firm," and renewed its rejection of "all forms of normalization, relations and agreements" with the Zionist entity. Background to the diplomatic agreement A communiqué was based Justice and Development referred to media reports of meetings between Moroccan, Israeli and US officials in New York, in preparation for raising the level of bilateral relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv. Hezbollah linked its rejection of normalization to the continuation of the war in the Palestinian territories, specifically in the Gaza Strip, considering that the current situation does not allow any rapprochement with Israel. This position is an extension of the party's declared opposition to the resumption of relations between Morocco and Israel since its announcement in late 2020, a file that has been a source of frequent disagreement between the AKP and the rest of the Moroccan party scene. A call to focus on the electoral campaign. In a letter addressed to activists, the General Secretariat called on the party's rules not to delve into what is published internally and externally about this file, and instead to focus on the "duty of time" and continue the legislative electoral campaign for the year 2026. The communiqué outlined the party's priorities during this station in defending national interests, fighting corruption, responding to citizens' demands, and defending territorial integrity. Besides supporting the Palestinian cause. Why this position matters The Justice and Development Communiqué comes at a sensitive time, as it coincides with an electoral campaign that is witnessing a fierce competition between parties for parliamentary seats, which makes the issue of normalization with Israel a sensitive topic that may affect the positions of voters, especially among those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The statement also reflects the continued division within the Moroccan political scene over the file of relations with Israel, between parties that support diplomatic rapprochement and others that categorically reject it. The Secretariat's report did not reveal any additional practical steps other than calling on party rules to exercise media restraint and continue field work until the polling date.