Ziyech's pro-Palestine comments garner mixed reactions despite Moroccans' large-scale Gaza support

Moroccan football star Hakim Ziyech has ignited controversy with his recent Instagram stories regarding the aggression on Palestine, accusing various nations, including Morocco, of “supporting genocide.”

His comments have elicited mixed reactions online, with some praising the international for using his celebrity status to bring attention to the Palestinian plight, while others have condemned his statements as a tool for maligning Morocco.

For context, Ziyech shared a video on Instagram showing Israeli soldiers kicking and abusing Palestinian bodies off a rooftop in the West Bank. He wrote, “let’s make one thing clear! Fuck Israel and every other country that supports this kind of behavior.”

In a second story, he said, “my last post was also for the government of our own country (Morocco), who supports genocide, and all other countries that is supporting that… Shame on you, enough is enough.” However, Ziyech later deleted his controversial stories.

Journalist and political analyst Said Berkanane told Hespress Ar that “Ziyech’s post was taken out of its personal context and twisted into a narrative that left the national team captain, one of Morocco’s World Cup 2022 heroes, under fire.”

Berkanane explained, “the first context is within sports, where there’s been growing criticism of the team captain, with some arguing he no longer adds value to the national team.”

He said that “critics used Ziyech’s stories as an opportunity to politicize his words, ignoring that freedom of expression is fundamental. They also overlooked the fact that Ziyech’s comments are similar to those made by other public figures and many Moroccans who speak openly on the issue.”

The expert explained, “critics also ignored the fact that before his stories criticizing the government, Ziyech had shared a video of Israeli soldiers kicking Palestinian bodies off a rooftop—an act that outraged people worldwide and led Israel to launch an investigation.”

“This blending of sports and politics stripped Ziyech of his right to voice his views on the situation in Palestine, where he believes the Moroccan government plays a role, even if it’s just by staying silent,” he explained.

Berkanane noted that “the second context is external, with Ziyech’s post becoming prime material for Algerian media outlets that eagerly seek anything to damage Morocco’s reputation.”

He explained that these outlets use such moments for propaganda, funded by millions of dollars, aimed at undermining Morocco’s digital sovereignty after failing to challenge its territorial integrity.

The expert pointed out that this situation raises questions about the freedom to express opinions on public policies, especially for public figures.

The Algerian media didn’t focus on Ziyech’s post simply because he’s a famous player, but because it aligned with their broader agenda to defame Morocco, much like their exploitation of recent mass migration events in Fnideq or any comments that criticize Morocco’s position on Palestine or the anti-normalization protests that occur regularly, he added.

Berkanane stressed that Ziyech has every right to voice his opinion, but his stance was unfairly dragged into a wider context of sports-related criticism in Morocco and exploited as part of the hostile propaganda pushed by Algeria’s military regime against the Kingdom.

In a similar vein, crisis management and conflict analysis expert, Berrak Abdesslam Chad explained that “while expressing his emotional reaction, Ziyech demonstrated that he’s a victim of ideological blindness. This stems from a lack of academic and scientific training, which limits his understanding of the complex challenges Morocco faces in managing its foreign relations.”

In a statement to Hespress Ar, the expert emphasized that “the player has every right to express his opinion freely and independently, but he must also respect Morocco and its strategic choices.”

“Hence, the stance he took in his Instagram posts is misguided and inappropriate, especially given his influential role as an athlete who impacts the choices of young people in society, given his participation in the 2022 World Cup,” he argued.

The expert pointed out that “implying Morocco’s responsibility in the crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians plays into the hands of the Kingdom’s enemies who promote this narrative.” This is despite the clear positions taken by Morocco, repeatedly articulated by King Mohammed VI, who has called for strength and responsibility in confronting Israeli aggression.

He continued, “Ziyech’s comments ignore Morocco’s efforts to support the Palestinian struggle for statehood,” emphasizing that “criticism should perhaps be aimed first at Turkey, where he plays, with significant trade ties to Israel, or at the Netherlands, which staunchly defends Israeli policies in Palestine and has been accused by various organizations of supplying spare parts for Israeli F-35 jets during the war.”

The expert concluded that “freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed to every Moroccan citizen under the constitution, and anyone has the right to voice their views on the country’s policies.”

However, this should be done with respect for Morocco’s strategic policies and a thorough understanding of the complexities of any conflict and the geopolitical factors involved before taking such a stance. Otherwise, it risks allowing those who wish to undermine the nation to exploit these sentiments against it.”