Moroccans protest 'Arab normalisation' with Israel

Hundreds of Moroccans demonstrated Friday against the "Arab normalisation" of ties with Israel, following US-backed agreements this week between the Jewish state, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Demonstrators in the North African nation's capital Rabat waved Palestinian flags, criticising the "treacherous countries" and "their American and Zionist allies".

The UAE and Bahrain on Tuesday signed deals with Israel at the White House, breaking decades of Arab consensus that there would be no relations with the Jewish state until it had made peace with the Palestinians.

Before the deals, the only Arab countries to establish relations with Israel were Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

"We demand the criminalisation of any normalisation" with Israel, demonstrators shouted.

"We are here to remind people that the Palestinian cause is also ours," said Taib Madmad, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.

Morocco does not have formal relations with Israel, but has unofficial links, especially due to Jewish communities of Moroccan origin.

Israeli media recently cited Morocco as one of the Arab countries that could also potentially normalise ties.

A Moroccan official said such reports were "completely unfounded."