Does an Anti-Semitic Family Represent Morocco in DC?

As President Trump returns to the White House, many throughout the Middle East and North Africa predict a return to the level of Israeli-Arab collaboration experienced during the establishment of the Abraham Accords. This moment presents a unique opportunity for Morocco to strengthen its strategic ties with the US and Israel. It is also an opportunity for Morocco to build on the historic recognition by the US of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and to advocate to go a step further: persuading Israeli and American businesses to invest in the region, positioning the Moroccan Sahara as a gateway to Africa.

Given the possibility of the moment, it is troublesome that the Moroccan government chose to send an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic representative to the US to represent its interests abroad: Mr. Youssef El Amrani. El Amrani has failed to deliver meaningful results for Moroccan diplomacy thus far. Despite being in the US for over a year, El Amrani has declined to engage with Moroccan Jewish community leaders and organizations advocating for stronger Moroccan-Israeli relations. Under his leadership, the Moroccan Embassy in Washington no longer maintains the open-door policy it once had for Jewish organizations and groups promoting ties between Morocco and Israel.

El Amrani's wife, Asma Lamrabet, also shares his anti-Israeli views. Her social media activity during the Israel-Gaza conflict reflects this; Lamrabet’s posts consistently portray Israel as the aggressor without acknowledging the October 7th terrorist attack. She posts images of the Israeli map adorned with the Palestinian flag, aligning herself with Hamas, radical stance of eliminating Jewish people from the area. This rhetoric, sharedover the past 15 months, reveals both anti-Israeli sentiments and anti-Semitic views.

Asthe spouse of an Ambassador, her public posts contribute to political discourse,regardless of her intention. The actions of El Amrani and his wife contradict the values of His Majesty KingMohammed VI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Appointing El Amrani to represent Morocco in the US was a critical misstep, especially at this important moment. Thisdecision means that Morocco may miss out on a moment of particularly stronggeopolitical possibilities to advance its own interests.