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Why Palestinians found Moroccan normalization easier to take

Unlike Israel's normalization deals with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, the most recent one with Morocco caused little anger among Palestinians.

A Moroccan man walks next to a Palestinian flag during a demonstration against the US Middle East peace plan in the capital Rabat on February 9, 2020. - Morocco has warming but quiet relations with Israel, although they do not enjoy formal diplomatic ties. Israel and Morocco opened "liaison" offices in each other's countries in the mid-1990s but Rabat closed them after an escalation of Palestinian-Israeli violence in 2000. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
A Moroccan man walks next to a Palestinian flag during a demonstration against the US Middle East peace plan in the capital Rabat on Feb. 9, 2020. — FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

Unlike their angry reactions to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan normalizing relations with Israel, the Palestinians have responded differently to the latest agreement by the Kingdom of Morocco. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered all the top Palestinian leaders to stay quiet. Unlike the envoys to the Gulf countries, the Palestinian ambassador to Morocco was not recalled in protest.

The power in holding off on normalization as per the Arab Peace Plan until Israel agrees to withdraw from areas occupied in 1967 was only effective when all 57 Arab and Muslim countries upheld it. Once the consensus was broken, adding more countries to the list of normalizing states became progressively easier.

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