Publications

In August 2017, the Israeli-German comedian and activist Shahak Shapira spray-painted tweets containing hate speech on the pavement in front of Twitter’s European headquarters in Hamburg. Shapira had previously reported those tweets to Twitter because of their harmful content. The social media network, however, refused to delete them, citing its free speech policy. The tweets Shapira painted on the street and sidewalk contained messages such as “Let’s unite and gas some Jews again. Those were good times,” “Another bunch of Kanaken [a...

Following the October 7 attack, there has been a significant surge in antisemitic expressions in Arab discourse. It involved the demonization of Jews in religious terms, the propagation of conspiracy theories alleging, among other things, the existence of Jewish control over global media, and narratives that deny or distort the scope and nature of the war crimes committed by Hamas.

Israel’s strategy for post-war Gaza remains ill-defined, but Egypt’s pivotal role in any future development is indisputable. Enhanced coordination between Jerusalem and Cairo is thus vital. Both countries should develop a joint plan to serve their respective political, security, and economic interests, bridge differing visions for Gaza’s future, and integrate regional and international actors into these efforts. The proposed plan should focus on neutralizing Hamas’ military and governance capabilities; facilitating the gradual and...

The war in the Gaza Strip impacts relations between Israel and Morocco in several contradictory ways. On the one hand, the conflict has not harmed their shared political, security, or economic interests. Nor has it undermined the reality that both countries are part of a regional axis intent on promoting regional stability based on economic cooperation and development. On the other hand, the royal palace in Rabat faces significant domestic and regional pressure to do more for the Palestinian cause and even to reassess its relations...

On July 17, 2023, the Royal Palace in Rabat announced that Israel has officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara. This significant step aligns Israel with the United States on a cornerstone of Moroccan foreign policy. The recognition is expected to substantially improve Israel-Morocco relations and overcome barriers that have hindered their progress, particularly in the diplomatic sphere, by upgrading their liaison offices to permanent embassies, and boost other facets of the relations as well. At the same time,...

Current Situation – States’ respective considerations on willingness to advance relations with Israel ·  Core components determine ability to progress | Current Israeli Strategy – Strengthen normalized relations and leverage the Abraham Accords toward additional relationships · Cultivate quiet relations with additional countries | Israel’s Strategic Gap – Conception that “what was is necessarily what will be” – positive linearity · Incomplete acknowledgment that the Palestinian issue impacts relations ·...

The recently opened Beit Yehouda Jewish museum in Tangier is a prime example of Morocco’s commitment to Judeo-Islamic coexistence. The kingdom embraces its Jewish heritage for an array of historic and contemporary economic and other reasons that attest to its pluralistic image. At the same time, Israel-Morocco ties are also influenced by King Mohammed VI’s religious role and his commitment to advance a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To foster the encouraging trends in the relations with Morocco, the new Israeli...

Morocco’s development needs, combined with the ambitions of Israeli companies to expand beyond the domestic market, can make cooperation beneficial to the two countries in both the economic and the diplomatic sphere. It can also advance their interests with countries in Western and Central Africa.