Benkirane Criticizes Government’s Normalization Deal with Israel
In a new fiery statement, Abdelilah Benkirane, the Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party and former Prime Minister, stated that if he were in a position of authority, he would not have agreed to the normalization agreement with Israel.
Benkirane did not hesitate to directly criticize former Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani, who signed the agreement on behalf of the government, asserting that he had urged El Othmani at the time to resign and maintain his dignity.
During his speech at the party’s 18th national youth forum, Benkirane revealed that he had previously asked King Mohammed VI to relieve El Othmani of his position as Prime Minister, due to his staunch opposition to normalization. He emphasized that the Justice and Development Party has been and will remain opposed to normalization with Israel.
Benkirane had previously stated that he is still awaiting clarification from El Othmani regarding the reasons that led him to sign the agreement, affirming that this decision was not coordinated with the party. However, he also expressed understanding of El Othmani’s position, despite the apparent difference in vision.