Maariv (7/14/2001) claimed that Princess Salma, the wife of King Mohammed VI, gave a valuable diamond necklace to Ms. Levni, the Israeli opposition leader, during a secret visit of hers to Morocco. Other Israeli media outlets spread the news. Israelnationalnews.com, for instance, wrote that “[n]o one can estimate the true value of the Knesset treasures. The diamond pendant necklace, for example, was given to Opposition Leader MK Tzipi Livni (Kadima) by the wife of the king of Morocco during a secret visit to the capital, Rabat, when she was Foreign Minister”.
The news was angrily received by many Moroccan citizens who denounced the Princess’s generosity to a war criminal. Angry comments featured on Facebook and different blogs and platforms.
After a whole week of silence, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs at last “categorically denied” the news and said that the Princess did not give Ms. Levni any present.
As a matter of fact, this is not the first time that the Moroccan Royal Palace was criticized for its clandestine relations with Israel. Late King Hassan II was criticized for repeatedly receiving Shimon Peres and other Israeli leaders. But, to my knowledge, this is the first time that the Moroccan government denies news of the Palace’s relations with Israel.
The denial, in my point of view, has got two implications. First, rumors about the Moroccan Palace or the political elite’s relations with Israel will no longer go unnoticed by the public. Thanks to new media, the Moroccan public opinion will from now on keep informed about what used to occur behind the curtain. Poor national media are no longer the public opinion’s sole source of information, which has already started to have a strong impact on the relations between the people and its leadership.
The second implication of the official denial of the necklace story is that the political elite and Royal Palace will be accountable in front of the Moroccan public whether they like it or not; they have therefore to watch out. The Moroccan Monarchy has capitalized on religion as a source of power for centuries. As a result, such rumors as the necklace story and its likes are very likely to bring the Monarchy’s reputation and credibility into question, which is very likely to make it more vulnerable in front of its opponents who are getting more and more numerous.
To sum up, whether we admit it or not, change is already taking place in Morocco. Neither the political elite nor the Royal Palace are as free to do what they please as they used once to be. What is needed, therefore, is a political leadership that grasps this truth.
