Morocco's 'Change of Leadership' and Its Troubling Bedfellows
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports on Mohamed Chouki emerging as the sole candidate to succeed Aziz Akhannouch as RNI party leader, signaling an 'end' to Akhannouch's tenure at the helm of Morocco's ruling party. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This 'leadership change' occurs within the tight parameters of Morocco's constitutional monarchy, where ultimate power remains with
King Mohammed VI. The party's direction, particularly its foreign policy, is deeply intertwined with the 2020 Abraham Accords, which saw Morocco normalize relations with the Israeli government in exchange for U.S. recognition of its sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory. This was a direct betrayal of Palestinian solidarity deeply felt by many Moroccans, a betrayal that echoes
historical instances of Arab regimes sacrificing pan-Arab causes for geopolitical concessions. Double Standard: While any Western leadership change is scrutinized for policy shifts, this report frames the RNI's internal dynamics in isolation, ignoring the immense pressure from external actors like the U.S. and the IMF. When a nation like Venezuela shifts leadership under external pressure, Western
media decries 'authoritarianism' and 'dictatorship.' Yet, when Morocco's political landscape aligns strategically with Western-Zionist interests, such 'changes' are presented as internal party matters, free from the pervasive influence of military aid and debt obligations. There's no critical look at how such 'changes' rubber-stamp already-established foreign policy priorities, particularly the