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Morocco World
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Gaza Genocide: Moroccan Support for Israel Ties Plummets
As Israel's genocide in Gaza stretches into its second year unbated, a recent Arab Barometer survey showed a sharp decline in public support for ties with Israel across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In Morocco, support for diplomatic alliance with Israel plummeted from 31% in 2022 to just 13% following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023. The poll also reveals a sharp decline in favorability toward Israel's Western allies. Positive views of the United Kingdom dropped by 38 points and those of France fell by 10 points in Morocco. Meanwhile, in Jordan, Mauritania, and Lebanon, the United States saw its popularity decline by 23, 19, and 15 points respectively. This backlash stems largely from the US's unwavering support for Israel's genocide in Gaza—through arms supplies, narrative backing, diplomatic protection, and five vetoes against ceasefire resolutions—rendering it a direct accomplice in the ongoing atrocities. Conversely, the survey reports a favorable shift towards China – a power rivaling US and Western hegemony and one of the few global actors to openly condemn Israel's actions. China's favorability surged across the MENA, with a 15 points increase in Morocco alone. The survey also confirms that Israel's atrocities have deepened regional support for the Palestinian cause and heightened condemnation for Israel. In Morocco, a clear majority now recognize Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and ethnic cleansing. Interestingly, majorities across nearly all surveyed countries still express support for a two-state solution, even in the wake of its ongoing genocide in Gaza. Though often framed as the most viable resolution, the two-state solution remains deeply controversial. It legitimizes Israel's occupation and the ethnic cleansing that began in 1948, reduces Palestinian self-determination to a fragmented, non-sovereign entity on just 22% of historic Palestine. This framework also represents Israel and Palestine as equal negotiating partners, thus obscuring the reality of ongoing military occupation and apartheid. More fundamentally, the two-state framework directly contradicts al-thawabit al-wataniyya— the principles at the core Palestinian national principles—which uphold the right of return for all refugees, full sovereignty over all of historic Palestine, and the refusal to recognize Israel as a legitimate settler-colonial entity. These thawabit, or constants, forged through generations of resistance, affirm that justice cannot be achieved through partition or compromise with colonialism. The two-state model bypasses these foundational demands, offering instead a Western-backed framework that entrenches Israeli supremacy and validates the outcomes of dispossession. Ultimately the study concludes a widening rift between public opinion and official policy. While Arab governments continue to avoid direct confrontation with Israel, the backlash from their own populations has become a growing obstacle to cooperation with Israel. Anatomy of a genocide Israel used the Al-Aqsa Flood operation as a pretext to escalate its aggression. But its live-streamed atrocities have stripped away decades of propaganda, exposing its crimes in real time to the world—and especially to the region it has terrorized since its founding. For people across the MENA region—who have lived through Israel's violent creation, from the Nakba, successive land grabs to the wars, intifadas, and repeated assaults on Gaza—October 7 reignited condemnation and reawakened political consciousness. It educated a new generation on the atrocities Israel has long sought to erase, along with the indigenous trees it uproots and the indigenous people it kills. However, the genocide in Gaza goes on as Israel and its allies continue to weaponize antisemitism and the legacy of Europe's Holocaust to shield themselves from accountability while committing atrocities that would make even Hitler blush. The official death toll remains over 56,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023. But the real number is likely far higher, as thousands remain buried under rubble or have been blown apart—never making it to morgues or registries. Many will never be counted, never be named, and never be laid to rest. UNICEF estimates that at least 50,000 children have been killed or injured. This is not mere 'collateral damage' — it is a deliberate strategy at the heart of Israel's genocidal project: to annihilate the possibility of a Palestinian future. With famine manufactured by Israel and a deadly shortage of baby formula, hundreds of children await their death sentence before they've even had a chance to live. To deflect international criticism, Israel introduced the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a US-Israel-backed initiative that places Palestinian survival in the hands of the very powers carrying out their destruction. Palestinians and independent aid groups have already described GHF sites as death zones. Since their launch in late May, reports—including testimony from Israeli soldiers in Israeli media—confirm that troops were ordered to shoot Palestinians approaching these aid points. Yet, in the face of starvation, many Palestinians are left with no choice but to risk death for the chance of receiving food. Even the aid reaching Gaza is poisoned. Experts inside the Strip report finding OxyContin—a powerful, addictive opioid— mixed into flour bags. A cruel tactic seeking to inflict further suffering on a population barely clinging to life, aiming to shatter Gazans' will and tear apart their social fabric from within.
Shafaq News
11-03-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraq's global standing: education gap, security risks, and economic challenges
Shafaq News/ Iraq continues to face significant challenges in education, security, and economic well-being, as reflected in recent global reports. Education: Gender Disparity in Higher Education Iraq remains among the countries where men significantly outnumber women in obtaining higher education, according to data published by the Arab Barometer network. The data shows that 28% of Iraqi men have attained post-secondary education, compared to only 20% of women. In contrast, Kuwait recorded the highest female higher education attainment rate among Arab countries, with 79% of women holding post-secondary degrees compared to 71% of men. At the other end of the spectrum, Mauritania had the largest gender disparity, with only 15% of women receiving higher education, compared to 29% of men—the lowest ratio in the survey and below the global average. Security: Iraq Ranks 13th in Terrorism Impact Iraq ranked 13th globally in the 2024 Global Terrorism Index, issued by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The index reported an increase in the number of countries experiencing terrorist attacks, rising from 58 to 66. While the Middle East saw a 7% decline in terrorist incidents in 2024, with 618 recorded attacks, ongoing violence between Israel and Palestinian factions has contributed to regional instability. Syria ranked 3rd globally in terrorism impact, followed by Somalia (7th), while Iraq came 13th, Yemen 22nd, and Palestine 25th. Among the least affected Arab nations, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar, and Sudan recorded zero terrorism incidents, according to the report. Economy: Iraq's Standing in Wealth and Public Spending A recent UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) report ranked Iraq 12th among 20 Arab nations and 118th globally (out of 173 countries) in terms of material well-being, based on actual per capita spending. The report indicates that the average annual expenditure per Iraqi citizen was USD 6,461. Regarding individual income levels, Iraq ranked 9th in the Arab world and 106th globally, with an annual per capita income of USD 12,421. In terms of government spending per capita, Iraq also ranked 9th regionally and 102nd worldwide. The report noted that telecommunication services are the most expensive sector for Iraqis, while education remains the least costly compared to other expenses.
