While Ben Gurion Airport faced chaos, Regev was in Morocco, where protests against her visit took place
While Ben Gurion Airport was paralyzed and flight schedules disrupted, the Minister of Transport was in Morocco. Local groups expressed opposition to her visit, labeling it a provocation.
According to reports from Morocco, various groups expressed anger and opposition to the visit of Minister of Transport Miri Regev to the country. Some called for her expulsion, and organizations opposing normalization reaffirmed their stance against any Israeli presence in the country.
Reports indicate that part of the opposition to Regev's visit stems from the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, observed this week throughout the Muslim world, while Regev is remembered for previously supporting the restriction of calls to prayer from mosques. Some view her visit as a provocation, given the regional situation and her past statements. In response, some users published a hashtag in support of the Prophet Muhammad to protest against her visit and anything they perceive as harmful to the religion.
Aziz Hanawi, secretary-general of the "National Action Group for Palestine" and the "Moroccan Organization Against Normalization," called for a demonstration. The protest took place in Marrakesh on Friday, where demonstrators carried Moroccan and Palestinian flags and signs condemning Regev.
Several months ago, a complaint was filed with the Moroccan public prosecutor against Hanawi for defaming Jacky Kadoch, head of the Moroccan Jewish community in the Marrakesh area. Faisal Omarzouk, Kadoch's lawyer, stated at the time:
"Morocco sees all Moroccan citizens as equal, without distinction between Muslim, Jewish, or Moroccan citizens."
Last Thursday, while Regev was in Morocco, thousands of passengers were stranded at Ben Gurion Airport as flight schedules were severely disrupted and luggage piled up in long lines. The Israel Airports Authority management issued several announcements blaming the workers' committee for "work disruptions." Conversely, the chairman of the workers' committee, Pinchas Idan, denied that a strike had been planned, insisting there was a severe manpower shortage and that his warnings had been ignored.
Just a day earlier, Regev and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Ben Gurion Airport. During the visit, the airport's operational status for the summer season was presented, and it appeared that everything was functioning. However, the reality on the ground on Thursday proved otherwise.
