VZCZCXRO7271
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHRB #1202 3651631
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301631Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9501
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 3556
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA PRIORITY 4436
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0879
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1108

UNCLAS RABAT 001202 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IPA - PAYTON KNOPF, NEA/MAG AND IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM MOPS ASEC KPAL KWBG MO
SUBJECT: GAZA/ARAB LEAGUE DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO GOM 
 
REF: STATE 134964 
 
¶1.  (SBU) With Minister of Foreign Affairs and 
Cooperation Taieb Fassi Fihri and Secretary General 
Youssef Amrani both out of Morocco, the Ambassador 
delivered reftel demarche to MFA Chief of Staff 
Nassir Bourita on December 30.  The Ambassador 
particularly emphasized the need to modulate 
rhetoric to avoid further enflaming sensibilities. 
Bourita said he would pass the message on to the 
Minister but offered no further thoughts on the 
events in Gaza. 
 
¶2.  (U) Local media continued to carry widespread 
broadcast and print coverage in both French and 
Arabic of Israeli attacks on Gaza, and calls for 
immediate cessation of hostilities.  Most major 
dailies featured half or full-page photos of bloody 
corpses on the front pages.  Moderate media outlets 
carried unusually strong and emotional editorials 
and news coverage, using terms such as "barbarism," 
"carnage," and "holocaust against Palestinians," and 
publishing shocking photos, e.g. bodies of children. 
 
¶3.  (U) Opinion focused on the alleged 
disproportionate response of Israeli military to 
Hamas rocket attacks (of which little mention is 
made), and the need for intervention to bring a 
cessation to hostilities and bring parties back to 
the negotiation table.  "L'Opinion," the ruling 
Istiqlal party's daily, and others had explicit 
criticism of the heads of Arab and European states 
and of the U.S. for failing to act, with strong 
criticism of Egypt and the Mubarak regime most 
prominent.  Several editorials criticized the U.S. 
administration's tacit or implicit support of 
Israel's actions.  The Pro-palace French-language 
daily, "Le Matin," said Israel's action took advantage 
of the transition period between U.S. 
Administrations and said the action "constitutes a 
clear warning to President-elect Obama."  Islamist 
Arabic-language daily "Attajdid" says "Gaza's 
resistance is a message to the U.S. Administration, 
which should [already] have learned the lesson of 
its support to Israel."  Other articles and one 
political cartoon criticize a perceived U.S. double 
standard. 
 
¶4.  (U) Arabic and French language print media also 
covered the Moroccan Foreign Ministry's press 
communique, stressing "Morocco's official strong 
condemnation of the Israeli aggression in Gaza" and 
Morocco's "call for an immediate stop to this 
aggression."  The communique included King Mohammed 
VI's appeal to the UN Security Council to take 
responsibility for ensuring a stop to the aggression 
and resumption of negotiations. 
 
¶5.  (U) Peaceful demonstrations by up to 1,000 
protestors took place in Casablanca on December 28 
and Rabat on December 29. 
 
***************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/rabat 
***************************************** 
 
Riley