CASABLANCA: More than 10,000 Moroccans chanting “Death to Israel” took to the streets of Casablanca on Sunday to protest against the US decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
The marchers carried Palestinian flags and placards that read “Al Quds (Jerusalem) Palestine’s eternal capital.” Most appeared to be Islamists, with women wearing headscarves and marching separately from men.
The US opened its embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, moving it from Tel Aviv, a move that reversed decades of US policy and delighted Israel and infuriated Palestinians.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who with broad international backing want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as their capital.
Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector it annexed after the 1967 conflict, as its capital. The administration of US President Donald Trump has said the city’s final borders should be decided by the parties.
On the day the United States opened its new embassy, Israeli troops killed 60 Palestinian demonstrators near the border in Gaza. Israel says the violence was incited by Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza. Hamas denies blame.
The Casablanca protest had been called by a coalition of four parties including the Islamist opposition group Al-Adl Wal Ihsan which is seen as Morocco’s most powerful opposition group in terms of rallying supporters on the street.
Thousands of Moroccans protest against US Jerusalem embassy move
Thousands of Moroccans protest against US Jerusalem embassy move
- More than 10,000 Moroccans chanting “Death to Israel” took to the streets of Casablanca on Sunday
- The US opened its embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, moving it from Tel Aviv
UAE closes embassy in Tehran, withdraws ambassador
- UAE foreign ministry said Iranian strikes represented serious and irresponsible escalation
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates closed its embassy in Tehran on Sunday and has withdrawn its ambassador and all diplomatic staff from Iran following Iranian missile strikes targeting the Gulf country.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision came in response to what it described as “blatant Iranian missile attacks” on Emirati territory.
The ministry said the strikes targeted civilian sites, including residential areas, airports, ports and service facilities, and represented a serious and irresponsible escalation.
“These hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and a clear breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the statement said.
The ministry added that the move reflects the UAE’s “firm and unwavering stance against any aggression” that threatens its security and sovereignty. It accused Iran of continued hostile and provocative conduct that undermines de-escalation efforts and pushes the region toward a dangerous trajectory, threatening regional and international peace, energy security and global economic stability.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have faced hundreds of missile and drone attacks since Saturday, as Tehran retaliates against US-Israeli airstrikes.
While the majority of the projectiles have reportedly been intercepted, there have been reports of casualties and damage in several areas of both cities.
