Abdelilah Benkirane sparks PJD controversy with remarks to El Othmani

Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), has sparked controversy following sharp remarks directed at his predecessor, former Prime Minister Saad Dine El Othmani. During a party gathering in Nouaceur, Benkirane told El Othmani to ‘stay at home’ and focus on his scientific activities, suggesting that El Othmani’s recent participation in election campaigns could be exploited by political opponents to criticize the party.

The tension was initially fueled by comments from Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, who questioned Benkirane’s failure to hold El Othmani accountable for the 2020 agreement to normalize relations between Morocco and Israel. Benkirane responded to Ouahbi’s ‘cowardly attack’ by targeting El Othmani, though he later issued a clarification on social media.

In his apology, Benkirane stated that he did not intend to offend El Othmani and expressed continued respect and affection for his former colleague. While Benkirane apologized for the specific phrasing, he maintained his stance that El Othmani should refrain from certain public political activities to avoid providing ammunition to the party's adversaries. The incident has reignited internal debates within the PJD regarding political responsibility and the legacy of the 2020 normalization decision.