Blinded by their endemic anti-semitism, Algerian and Tunisian leaders of parties hailing from the Muslim Brotherhood called for a Maghreban union that excludes Morocco. Head of Algeria’s Islamist MSP, Abderrazak Makri, has called for a Maghreb Union without Morocco because it has normalized ties with Israel. Ghannouchi left out Morocco and Mauritania on the backdrop of Morocco’s resumption of ties with Israel and reports that Mauritania would follow suit. With Mauritania, which is viewed by the Tunisian and Algerian Muslim Brotherhood as a distant country, Morocco is the main trading partner. The statements of the two Islamists also reflect the zero-sum game attitude to Maghreb integration within the Algerian regime that kept Algeria’s economy oil-dominated lacking in competitiveness.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 28, 2021 13:51 UTC