Images circulating online show members of the Golani Brigade participating in joint exercises in Morocco [Screengrab/X]
The participation of Israel’s Golani Brigade in the US-led African Lion 2025 military exercises in Morocco has triggered widespread condemnation across the Arab world.
Images circulating online showed members of the Golani Brigade, a unit long accused of committing massacres in Gaza, participating in joint exercises alongside troops from more than 40 countries.
Photographs of the soldiers posing with the Israeli flag and the brigade’s insignia have fuelled anger on Arab social media and among pro-Palestinian advocacy groups.
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement condemned the brigade’s participation, likening it to a “Nazi” force. In a statement, the group accused Morocco of a “continued decline in moral and humanitarian standards” through its military cooperation with Israel.
The backlash comes amid ongoing Israeli bombardments in Gaza, where more than 61,700 Palestinians have been killed.
Just weeks ago, the United Nations confirmed the discovery of a mass grave in southern Rafah, where 15 medics, aid workers, and UN staff – some still in uniform and reportedly handcuffed – were found shot and buried.
Israeli forces have been blamed for the killings and for destroying ambulances and emergency vehicles at the scene.
While the Israeli military has not detailed the scope of its involvement in the African Lion drills, its presence in the Morocco-based leg of the exercise marks the second consecutive year of participation. In 2024, Israel sent 12 soldiers from the Golani Brigade to train on Moroccan soil.
The African Lion exercises, co-hosted by Morocco and the United States, are taking place from 14 April to 23 May across multiple African nations, including Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.
