DOHA, Qatar (AP) — It’s a rare time in the Middle East when the voice of the public roars louder than that of governments. But Morocco’s upset winning streak at the World Cup in Qatar has sparked joy and pride among Arab fans that, at least for a moment, have overshadowed the region’s many political divisions.
Perhaps most striking is the love fest between the Palestinians and the Moroccan team, despite the Moroccan government’s normalization of ties with Israel as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords.
The Moroccan team waved a Palestinian flag after their victory over Spain last week, thrilling the Palestinians. Throughout the tournament, the Palestinian flag was unfurled everywhere, carried by Arab and some non-Arab fans, so much so that the running joke is that Palestine is the 33rd team in the World Cup.
The Palestinians see it as a sign that Arab public support remains strong for their cause, even as they feel Arab governments have abandoned them, with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan also normalizing ties with Israel.
“I did not expect this. It is spreading the word and showing that Palestine is not just a political problem, it is a human problem,” said Ahmed Sabri, a Palestinian youth in Doha after watching Morocco win over Portugal on Saturday. He had the Palestinian flag slung over his back.
FILE – Moroccan fans celebrate after their team scored the first goal during a World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Portugal and Morocco, at Dubai Media City, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 10. 2022. It is a rare time in the Middle East where the voice of the public roars louder than that of governments. But Morocco’s upset victories at the World Cup have sparked joy and pride among many Arab fans that, at least for a moment, have overshadowed the region’s many political divisions. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Kamran Jebreili
FILE – Moroccan soccer fans celebrate after their national team beat Canada 2-1 to qualify for the knockout stages of a World Cup soccer match played in Qatar, in Rabat, Morocco, Thursday, December 1, 2019. 2022. It is a rare moment in the Middle East when the voice of the public roars louder than that of governments. But Morocco’s upset victories at the World Cup have sparked joy and pride among many Arab fans that, at least for a moment, have overshadowed the region’s many political divisions. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mosa’ab Elahmy
FILE – Palestinians wave their national flag as they watch a live broadcast of the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Morocco and Portugal played in Qatar, in Gaza City Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair, file)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Fatima Shbair
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His Egyptian friend, Yasmeen Hossam, draped in a Moroccan flag, said: “This is the first World Cup in the Middle East and the first FOR the Middle East.”
Morocco is the first Arab and African team to go that far in a World Cup, playing a semifinal on Wednesday against France. Part of the team’s Arab embrace comes simply from having something to celebrate in a region where many countries are mired in economic crisis, armed conflict and political repression.
For some, it’s gratifying to see their culture displayed in a positive light on a massive international stage, whether it’s the Moroccan team doing a quick Muslim prayer during meetings or Moroccan winger Soufiane Boufal dancing with her veiled mother on the pitch. after the quarterfinal win over Portugal.
“We’re all holding on to this Moroccan team as a kind of source of hope and happiness at a time when I think we could all use some good news,” said Danny Hajjar, a Lebanese-American music writer.
The excitement with each victory has crossed borders and political divisions.
The Algerians rallied, despite their government cutting ties with Morocco last year. The two countries have a longstanding conflict over Western Sahara, which Morocco annexed in 1975 and where Algeria long supported the Sahrawis in the independence-seeking Polisario Front. Algeria was angered by the US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in exchange for normalization with Israel.
At the often tense border between Morocco and Algeria, fans lined up on both sides and cheered for each other in no man’s land, videos on social media showed. In the French city of Nice, Algerians and Tunisians from the diaspora joined Moroccans in cafes and in each other’s homes for the matches, lighting celebratory fireworks on the famed Promenade des Anglais Mediterranean seafront.
By contrast, Algerian state television has not even reported on Morocco’s victories, leaving them out of the daily World Cup reports.
For the Palestinians, the games have been a breath of fresh air. The peace process with Israel has long rotted in a jar on the shelf; a far-right government in Israel is about to take office; Tensions have risen in recent months with several deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel, near-daily Israeli raids on the West Bank and increased harassment by Jewish settlers.
At the same time, many Palestinians feel that they have been forgotten by the Arab governments; In addition to the Abraham Accords, countries like Egypt and Jordan have been silent on the future of the Palestinians while increasing cooperation with Israel.
World Cup host Qatar has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinians and a major economic lifeline for the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Hamas militant group and under lockdown by Egypt and Israel for years.
Ahmed Abu Suleiman, soccer coach at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, said he is proud to see the Palestinian flag among the fans in Doha so much.
“Regimes change, but people stay the same. They are thinking about the Palestinian issue, about the Palestinian wound,” she said.
Thousands of people packed a sports center in Gaza City with a large screen donated by Qatar to watch the Morocco-Portugal match. Many carried signs displaying the Palestinian and Moroccan flags and the slogan “One people, one country.”
“It is an indescribable feeling. I swear it’s like the Palestinians are playing,” said one fan, Ibrahim al-Lilli. “We are all Morocco”.
There were also scenes of jubilation in the West Bank after the victory. In east Jerusalem, two men stood atop the Damascus Gate of the Old City with a red Moroccan flag as hundreds of people applauded and chanted: “God, Morocco, Jerusalem is Arab.”
The Moroccan victory also reverberated in Israel, home to hundreds of thousands of Jews of Moroccan descent. Many Israelis, including those who attended Doha, supported the team.
Avi Nachmani, a spokesman for the Israel-based World Federation of Moroccan Jews, said many Israelis of Moroccan origin maintain a strong connection to their roots. “This blossoming of the team really adds to the affinity,” he said.
He said the scenes of players celebrating with their mothers reminded him of the way Moroccan Jews honor their parents. “They don’t forget where they come from,” he said.
But some were dismayed by the Palestinian flag displays. In Israel and East Jerusalem, police move quickly to tear down any display of the flag, although it is not specifically prohibited.
Rudy Rochman, an Israeli of Moroccan descent, said he felt a connection to the Moroccan team. But he called the display of the Palestinian flag “intentionally offensive to Israel.”
On social media, some said that the Arab enthusiasm for Morocco erases the large ethnic Berber population that is as much, if not more, a part of the country’s identity. Other voices said that Morocco’s control over Western Sahara and the discrimination felt by many Sahrawis were lost in the cheers.
Lebanon may be the most difficult, as sectarian divisions seep into soccer loyalties. While the Lebanese are overwhelmingly fans of Brazil or Germany, many have embraced Morocco and rejoiced in the streets after the victory over Portugal.
The semifinal with France is more divisive. Much of the Arab world sees an opportunity for a former colony to give its former colonizer what he deserves. But some in Lebanon feel a cultural affinity with France, particularly Christians.
After the Portugal game, fighting broke out in Beirut after a group of Moroccan fans from a majority-Muslim neighborhood rode motorbikes through a Christian area, some hoisting Palestinian flags and chanting “God is the greatest.” They were approached by a group of men from the area who saw a sectarian provocation in the convoy.
Given the history of divisions and the 15-year civil war, music writer Hajjar said he wouldn’t be surprised if there was more street friction surrounding the semi-final. But, he said, he was “hoping we can all just enjoy the game for what it will be.”
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AP journalists Wafa Shurafa in Gaza City; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Barbara Surk in Nice, France; and Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
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