Marwa Osman : Morocco and the Mass Crossing to Spain

18 Moroccans lost their lives trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, while nearly 50,000 others crossed into the territory in what became a major humanitarian crisis. According to widespread allegations, Rabat deliberately allowed the mass crossing as political leverage against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after he restored relations with Algeria following a diplomatic rift.

Now, Trump, the White House, and Netanyahu’s political allies have joined the pressure campaign against Sánchez over his principled stance on Palestine. Some of the strongest attacks came from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and members of her government, who have even called for Spain to face consequences within the Schengen system.

It’s worth remembering, especially as so many European governments continue to shield Israel, that Sánchez has been one of the few Western leaders willing to back his rhetoric with concrete action.
Spain cut diplomatic ties with Israel,
joined the genocide case before the International Court of Justice,
suspended military trade,
barred Israeli-linked military shipments from passing through Spanish ports and airspace,
banned imports from illegal Israeli settlements and
ended consular services for Israeli citizens living in those settlements, among other measures.

Morocco, meanwhile, has moved in the opposite direction. It has ;

welcomed Israeli officials accused of war crimes,
expanded military and defense cooperation with Israel,
hosted joint military exercises,
received Israeli vessels rejected elsewhere, and
signed billions of dollars’ worth of defense agreements, all while Gaza remains under relentless attack and continuous genocide.

The Moroccan monarchy is hardly unique among Arab governments that have normalized relations with Israel despite overwhelming public opposition. What makes this case particularly striking, however, is the allegation that thousands of desperate Moroccans were effectively used as political pawns to pressure Spain, while Crown Prince Hassan was photographed enjoying life aboard a reported $4 million luxury yacht, an image many Moroccans see as emblematic of a ruling elite detached from the hardships facing ordinary citizens.

Cue the usual wave of regime loyalists, online propagandists and apologists rushing to defend the indefensible, the same political class that protects corruption, squanders public wealth and treats ordinary Moroccans as expendable whenever it serves the interests of those in power.

Honestly, wherever there is a human-made tragedy, just look for Israel and its allies.