
Unified Socialist Party calls for investigation into Sion Assidon's mysterious incident
In a statement, the party expressed deep concern over Assidon's critical condition. On the evening of Monday, August 11, 2025, he was found at his home in a coma, with visible bruises on his body. He was urgently taken to a clinic in Mohammedia, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. On Wednesday, August 13, his condition worsened, prompting his transfer to a clinic in Casablanca, where he remains in intensive care.
The leftist party described Sion Assidon as «one of the great national figures who fought on multiple fronts against tyranny, oppression, Zionism, and imperialism». A prominent political prisoner during the Years of Lead, he spent 12 years «of his youth in Moroccan prisons for his struggle to build a Morocco of democracy, freedom, equality, and human dignity». He also «staunchly opposed Zionism and strongly supported the Palestinian cause in various national and international forums».
Assidon is one of the founders of the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Against Normalization and a member of its national secretariat. He also serves as the coordinator of the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Morocco World
2 hours ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Joins Arab Countries in Condemning Netanyahu's Illegal ‘Greater Israel' Plans
Marrakech – Morocco has joined more than 30 Arab and Muslim countries in signing a joint statement condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent endorsement of the illegal 'Greater Israel' concept. During an interview on August 12 with I24News, when asked if he adhered to the 'vision' of a 'Greater Israel, Netanyahu responded 'very much,' delivering the statement with a knowing smile and no walk-back, triggering immediate outrage across the Arab world. The joint statement, supported by the secretaries general of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), denounces Netanyahu's comments as a 'flagrant violation of international law' and 'a direct threat to Arab national security, state sovereignty, and regional and international peace and security.' Arab governments from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan condemned the remarks as evidence of 'a mentality steeped in colonial delusions,' a confirmation of expansionist intent. Egypt, whose Sinai was occupied by Israel following the 1967 war, demanded clarifications about Netanyahu's statements, saying they reflect 'provocation to instability' and 'rejection of the peace option in the region.' Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the remarks as a 'dangerous provocative escalation and a threat to countries' sovereignty.' Iraq similarly denounced what it called 'expansionist ambitions of the occupying entity,' adding that 'these statements represent a clear provocation to the sovereignty of countries.' Saudi Arabia expressed its 'total rejection of the colonization and expansion ideas adopted by Israeli occupation authorities,' while reiterating 'the historical and legal right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state.' The statement also condemned Israeli Interior Minister Bezalel Smotrich's approval of a settlement plan in the 'E1' zone of the West Bank and his rejection of an independent Palestinian state. The signatories further reaffirmed their rejection of annexation policies, settler violence, and Israeli Occupation Force' (IOF) incursions into Palestinian cities and camps. This verbal escalation comes as Smotrich approved the construction of a colony designed to separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank, both occupied territories, in a move critics say aims to torpedo the creation of a Palestinian state. Theology as cartography For extremist Israelis, the concept of 'Greater Israel' would extend from the Nile to the Euphrates in Iraq, encompassing parts of territories in neighboring countries that these ultranationalist Zionists dream of occupying. The biblical notion draws from verses in Genesis 15:18, Exodus 23:31, Deuteronomy 11:24, and Joshua 1:4 that outline boundaries far beyond Israel's current borders. Critics characterize 'Greater Israel' as dangerous territorial irredentism. The concept transforms liturgy into latitude by elevating Greater Israel from scripture and slogans into a political program. It represents maximalist cartography dressed in messianic rhetoric that collapses ethics into acreage and swaps statecraft for a theology of permanent exception. Israel's application of the 'Greater Israel' doctrine has proceeded methodically. Piece by piece, it has entrenched irreversible control over the West Bank, normalized its occupation through diplomatic breakthroughs, and tested its reach in Gaza with unprecedented genocidal acts, destruction, and displacement. The Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967 and unilaterally recognized by the United States as Israeli territory in 2019, exemplifies how conquest has been laundered into permanence. The rhetoric around Greater Israel has not only intensified but become explicitly unapologetic. Israel's far-right government no longer attempts to hide its expansionist agenda. Netanyahu himself declared in January 2024 that Israel must retain 'security control over all territory west of the Jordan River' – a statement that amounts to a formal 'river to sea' position merely disguised with security terminology. Finance Minister Smotrich has openly advanced his 'Decisive Plan' that baldly outlines permanent Israeli sovereignty and creates a framework for systematic annexation through bureaucratic means. Even more explicit is National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has abandoned all pretense of equality, stating with remarkable candor: 'My right, the right of my wife and my children, to move around Judea and Samaria [West Bank] is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs [Palestinians].' These are not isolated slips but coordinated policy positions from Israel's highest officials. Netanyahu's repeated talk of a 'New Middle East' is not the visionary project he claims but a recycled slogan. Originally popularized by Shimon Peres in his 1993/1994 book as a utopian vision of post-Oslo economic integration, today's version is less about prosperity and more about power. It represents a map of the region carved up to fit Israel's security obsessions and expansionist appetites, sold under the false banner of 'stability' and 'peace.' Demographically, the project faces overwhelming challenges. An Arabic Rawabet Center think-tank analysis in 2016 noted the global Jewish population was too small to sustain the Greater Israel project. Even with today's approximately 15.8 million Jews worldwide (about 7.3 million in Israel), representing less than 0.2% of the global population, there remains a vast gap between territorial ambition and human resources. Critics argue the project is strategically self-defeating. 'Security control' over millions of unwilling subjects produces not stability but a permanent mobilization. It creates perpetual reserve duty, perpetual guard duty, perpetual flashpoints, while organizing politics around sacred soil corrodes the state and breeds messianic governance. Regionally, the 'river to sea' frame – whether chanted by Palestinians or coded into Israeli platforms – makes the conflict zero-sum, ensuring it remains endless. Critics add that Israel cannot normalize relations with neighbors or stabilize alliances while simultaneously signaling that Palestinian self-determination will never be realized. The project undermines international legitimacy, strengthens boycott movements, and provides ammunition to Israel's harshest critics. Put simply, if Zionism was meant to normalize Jewish self-determination, 'Greater Israel' represents its self-abnormalization – solidifying the so-called 'only democracy in the Middle East' into a permanent occupation that erodes its foundational values. Read also: Morocco Condemns Israeli Maps Showing 'Historic Israel' Over Arab Territories Tags: Benjamin NetanyahuGreater Israel


Morocco World
3 hours ago
- Morocco World
Lleida Police Capture Suspects in Joint Spanish-Moroccan Counterterrorism Operation
Rabat – Spanish police announced Monday the arrest of two men in Vallfogona de Balaguer, Lleida, for alleged links to jihadist terrorism. The arrest forms part of a wider security operation conducted in direct coordination with Morocco's General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST). Security sources told Europa Press that the men, aged 24 and 26, radicalized themselves through extremist propaganda and actively participated in terrorist recruitment and indoctrination networks. The investigation began a year and a half ago after authorities detected one individual showing intense online activity tied to websites affiliated with ISIS. Officials said one of the suspects maintained a high level of radicalization, using extremist platforms and serving as an intermediary for recruiting others and planning potential attacks. Police searches at their homes led to the seizure of multiple electronic devices, now under police scrutiny. Both men appeared before the examining magistrate of Central Court No.1 of Spain's National Court, which ordered pretrial detention for the main suspect. Morocco has played a key role in supporting Spain's counterterrorism efforts. In January, Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), met with Spanish General Commissioner Javier Antonio Susin Bercero to assess threats in regions including the Sahel and Sahara. Spanish authorities commended Moroccan intelligence for helping prevent attacks and dismantle terrorist cells. Susin Bercero noted Morocco's regional leadership and stressed the importance of joint operations and coordinated arrests as security challenges evolve. Tags: CounterterrorismDGSTMoroccoSpainterrorism


Morocco World
3 hours ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Appoints Arbitrator in $2.2 Billion Emmerson Mining Dispute
Marrakech – Amid the ongoing arbitration process between Morocco and British mining company Emmerson Plc (Khemisset UK Limited and Potasse de Khemisset S.A.), the country has appointed Professor Zachary Douglas KC as its arbitrator at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The appointment, officially recorded by ICSID on August 15, marks an important step forward in the dispute registered under case number ARB/25/22. Douglas, who holds both Australian and Swiss nationality, is a professor of international public law at Geneva and Rome, with substantial experience before international courts as an arbitrator, lawyer, and expert witness. Emmerson had previously appointed its own arbitrator, Bulgarian national Stanimir A. Alexandrov, whose nomination was registered on August 5. Alexandrov brings 30 years of experience in international commercial arbitration, particularly in investor-state disputes, and is the current president of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). He previously served as Bulgaria's Deputy Foreign Minister. The arbitration tribunal now awaits only the appointment of a president, who must be accepted by both parties, before proceedings can formally begin. This president will play a crucial role in directing discussions and potentially influencing the outcome of the arbitration. The dispute stems from Emmerson's claim that Morocco violated multiple provisions of the bilateral investment treaty between Morocco and the United Kingdom, signed in 1990 and enacted in 2002. The company is seeking full compensation for what it values at $2.2 billion after its Khemisset potash project was halted. Located approximately 90 kilometers from Rabat, the Khemisset project represented Emmerson's primary asset. With estimated resources of 311 million tons at an average grade of 10.2% potassium oxide, the mine was expected to produce over 700,000 tons of potash annually for 19 years. This would have positioned Morocco as a major player in the global potash market. The project was derailed following an unfavorable environmental and social impact assessment issued by the Regional Unified Investment Commission (CRUI) on October 28, 2024. The commission determined that the project's projected water consumption was incompatible with local capacities. Emmerson, represented by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner (BSF), views this decision as an unjustified eviction from its investment and is pursuing arbitration under the provisions of the bilateral treaty, which allows for private arbitration in case of disputes. The Moroccan government has appointed attorney Hicham Naciri as its representative in the proceedings. Observers in international arbitration circles note that Morocco's choice of Douglas may be strategic, as he is described as a 'typical state defender' who has 'ruled massively in favor of the state' in previous cases. Even when tribunals have ruled in favor of investors by majority, Douglas has reportedly filed dissenting opinions. As both parties await the appointment of the tribunal president, this case brings to light the tensions between foreign investment protection and environmental concerns in resource development projects in Morocco. Tags: Emmerson MoroccoEmmerson plcEmmerson potash