Morocco’s World Cup run flagged wider political issues

Morocco’s surprise victories at the World Cup in Qatar have united millions of people in Africa and in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals, and the second Muslim country after Turkey (in 2000) to reach the semi-finals.

Although their country is located on the African continent, most Moroccans consider themselves Arabs. They embrace Arab culture and speak Arabic. The majority also belong to the 1.9 billion global Muslim Umma, or community. Morocco – who are regarded at home as an Arab team – proclaimed their Muslim identity before each game by reciting the Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Koran. They emphasised their Arab identity after each win by brandishing Palestinian flag along with their own national banner.

For millions of Arabs and Muslims, the Palestinian flag represents the continuing struggle of the Palestinian people for an end to Israeli occupation and the attainment of self-determination. But the flag also signifies the rejection of top-down authoritarian rule, particularly with governments that have made peace with Israel despite pan-Arab and domestic opposition. By sporting the Palestinian flag, the Moroccan team risked domestic retribution, as the gesture could have been seen as an expression of disapproval at the government’s 2020 normalisation deal with Israel.

This feeling is shared by majorities in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan. Pan-Arab and domestic rejection began in 1978 with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat’s visit to the Israeli Knesset and the 1979 peace deal, which led to his assassination. The Arab League suspended Egypt and moved its headquarters to Tunisia.

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During Egypt’s 2011 Arab Spring uprising the Israeli mission was the sole embassy attacked in Cairo. Jordanians were not keen on the 1994 peace treaty with Israel and there have been repeated calls for Amman to abrogate the treaty.

The Washington-based Arab Centre’s latest opinion poll showed that “three-quarters of the population of the Arab world agrees that the Palestinian cause concerns all Arabs, and not the Palestinians alone” and that 88 per cent of Arabs disapprove of recognition of Israel by their governments. Qatar does not recognise Israel, and Israelis permitted to attend the World Cup have been confronted by Palestinian flags and given a cool reception.

Commenting on the situation in Qatar, Britain-based Amwaj media spoke for many outlets when it said: “Israel making peace with Arab governments is one thing. But making peace with most ordinary Arabs is another thing entirely.”