UK £2 Issue 217, Year 5 August 4, 2019 EU €2.50 www.thearabweekly.com Tensions Lessons from New Saudi with Iran Caid Essebsi’s milestone funeral Pages 4,5 Page 6 Page 20 Moroccan king seeks new development model, points out inadequacies ► Mohammed VI spoke on the 20th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Saad Guerraoui hoc committee for the new devel- certain officials sometimes isolate opment model, which is to be un- Morocco or lead to damaging inde- veiled in the autumn. The commit- cision.” Casablanca tee is expected to suggest reforms Unlike his father King Hassan II, in several sectors, including educa- whose foreign policy was based major cabinet reshuffle is tion and health care. on ties to Europe and particularly expected following Moroc- Morocco has made major leaps in France, King Mohammed VI, 55, has can King Mohammed VI’s several sectors that have diversified opted for Africa to boost Morocco’s A call for new faces in politi- the country’s economy in the last political and economic interests. cal, economic and administrative two decades. The construction of Morocco reintegrated with the institutions, including the govern- Tanger Med Port, a high-speed rail African Union in 2017 after a 33 ment, as he expressed dissatisfac- line linking Tangier and Casablanca year absence. Rabat was a found- tion with the country’s current de- and energy plants are among Mo- ing member of the Organisation of velopment model. rocco’s achievements under the African Unity but, after the group “I ask the head of government king’s rule. recognised the Sahrawi Arab Demo- to submit to me, after the summer Improvement of infrastructure cratic Republic — known as Western break, proposals to fill executive has been at the forefront of his pri- Sa hara — and Algeria backed it for a posts in the government and the orities and 1,600km of roadways seat in the African Union, Morocco civil service with high-level nation- have been built. withdrew from the bloc in 1984. al elites chosen on merit and com- “What has been achieved in the Morocco has largely been spared petence,” King Mohammed VI said last 20 years has been great but the unrest that gripped North Af- in a televised speech July 29 mark- a lot of work needs to be done to rica and the Middle East since the ing his 20 years on the throne. boost the economy in both eastern “Arab spring” uprisings of 2011. King Mohammed VI called for a and southern regions by improv- However, the country has seen new plan that would ease social in- ing their infrastructure and linking large-scale protests in the last three equalities in Morocco. them with the western and north- years across the country, especially “In recent years, our develop- ern regions,” said Rachid Aourraz, in the Rif, demanding social and ment model has proven to be inad- an economist at the Moroccan In- economic reforms to improve peo- equate in terms of helping us meet stitute for Policy Analysis. ple’s standard of living. the growing needs of a segment of Morocco seeks to obtain 52% of King Mohammed VI ceded some the population, reduce social in- its electricity from clean energy, power to an elected government af- equalities and tackle regional dis- such as wind and solar, by 2030, up ter the country’s 2011 constitutional parities,” he said. from 28% today. reform, which saw Islamists rise to Moroccan Central Bank Gover- King Mohammed VI said Morocco power in Morocco for the first time. nor Abdellatif Jouahri had pointed needed more openness to lure for- out, before the king’s speech, that eign investment and benefit from Saad Guerraoui is a contributor “the performance of the Moroccan foreign expertise. He noted that to The Arab Weekly on Maghreb economy is not enough to meet the “the constraints imposed by some issues. Looking ahead. Morocco’s King Mohammed VI delivers a speech increasing social aspirations.” national laws and the fear and hesi- marking the anniversary of his accession to the throne in Tetouan, King Mohammed VI set up an ad tation characterising the mindset of P3, 6 July 29. (AFP) Israeli parties submit election lists but no end seen to stalemate Mamoon Alabbasi One stumbling block in Netan- forced out,” said Hugh Lovatt, a poli- still change over the next month and That does not mean that Israelis yahu’s road to renewed leadership cy fellow at the European Council on one should never discount Netanya- are happy with their prime minister. of the country is the staunch objec- Foreign Relations hu’s political acumen,” Lovatt said. “The Israeli public is frustrated London tion of right-wing politician Avig- “The other possibility is that Ne- “Netanyahu’s answer is to expand with Netanyahu and his never-end- dor Lieberman, a former ally of the tanyahu forms a centrist coalition the pool of right/far-right votes by ing overtures to the extreme right- sraeli political parties submit- prime minister. with Blue and White without Lieber- ensuring that far-right parties such wing of Israel, not to mention his ted electoral lists for parliamen- “Despite new alliances on both man, perhaps under the pretext of as Zehut and Otzma make it above corrupt style of governance,” said tary elections but observers said the left and right, no one is able to responding to the Trump adminis- the electoral threshold but, accord- Bahour. I it was unclear which coalition form a majority coalition due to tration’s peace initiative.” ing to recent polling, even that still “Israel is left with two poles. On might be able to form a government Lieberman’s stated opposition to Netanyahu is not leaving matters has the right-wing bloc falling short one side are multiple degrees of Is- considering the deadlock among Is- join either a centre-left coalition or a to chance but the numbers aren’t on of a majority.” raeli right-wing parties, on the other rael’s top politicians. right-wing coalition with Netanyahu his side yet. Netanyahu’s opponents do not ap- are the united Palestinian citizens of The August 1 deadline for submit- and the ultra-Orthodox. That basi- “At this stage, it is difficult to see pear to be in a better position, either. Israel. In this climate, all the Israeli ting electoral lists passed with the cally means he will support only a how the Israeli political system can “On the centre-left, Ehud Barak’s right-wing will have a two-prong two major alliances remaining more ‘unity’ government made up of Blue avoid repeating the deadlock of the re-entry into politics and the for- strategy: marginalise the Palestinian or less the same, raising questions and White and Likud if Netanyahu is last election but, of course, a lot can mation of a new Democratic Union citizens of Israel while voting Netan- on how another stalemate might be list seem to only be shifting votes yahu out of office.” averted. around within the centre-left bloc The United States has yet to fully The latest poll predicted that the — rather than expanding it,” said Lo- unveil its Mideast peace plan, which Likud party and the Blue and White vatt. was welcomed by Netanyahu and alliance would secure 30 seats each. “The creation of the Joint List is rejected by the Palestinians, who say The winning alliance needs the important from the point of view of the Trump administration is heavily backing of 61 lawmakers in the 120- Palestinian political agency but it is biased in favour of Israel. An Israeli seat Knesset to form a government. not a game-changer for the centre- government without Netanyahu as Israelis go to the polls September left and, in any case, Blue and White prime minister is still likely to sup- 17 after a vote April 9 failed to pro- continue to oppose working with port the US plan. duce a clear winner. As in April, the them.” Bahour said if pressed domestical- two main rivals in the election are Despite polls predicting 11 seats ly, Netanyahu might turn to military the Likud party, led by Prime Min- for the Joint List, Palestinian citizens action outside Israel. ister Binyamin Netanyahu and the of Israel are not expecting a shift in “Netanyahu will not go down Blue and White alliance, led by for- Israeli politics towards their com- without a fight, which means all mer military chief Benny Gantz. munity, which they say will remain eyes should be on an Israeli military New alliances were formed on marginalised. aggression on Gaza, yet again. Sadly, the right and left of Israel’s politi- “It is clear that the Jewish Israeli governance by fear is all that’s left cal spectrum. A new list made up of community has no progressive voic- for Israeli political parties,” he said. far-right right parties could decide to es on the political left to speak of back Netanyahu’s bid for a fifth term More of the same? Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (L) and the political centre seems to be Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy in office but it was unknown wheth- attends the launch of the Democratic Union list, which he formed falling out,” Sam Bahour, Palestinian Managing Editor and Online Editor er its support would be enough for with newly elected Meretz head Nitzan Horowitz (R) and Stav businessman and commentator, said of The Arab Weekly. the prime minister. Shaffir (C), Tel Aviv, July 25. (AFP) via e-mail. P2 2 August 4, 2019 Cover Story Palestine Israel Palestinian Israelis look for elections to fight discrimination the Arab Movement for Change (Ta’al), led by Ahmad Tibi, regis- tered their political alliance at the Yousef Alhelou Central Elections Committee at the Knesset.