The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and its Moroccan counterpart (MACBI) have urged a boycott of the second edition of the Women's World Peace Forum, scheduled for September 19–21, 2025, in Essaouira. In a joint statement, the groups described the forum as a «normalization platform» that, in their view, serves to cover up the war in Gaza and divert attention from questions of human rights and international law under the banner of «women and peace». PACBI and MACBI argued that the forum promotes a narrative of «coexistence» that overlooks what they call Israel's colonial and apartheid practices, and said this runs counter to the anti-normalization principles set by Palestinian civil society. They also criticized Morocco's role, pointing to the use of Moroccan ports for the transfer of military equipment, procurement from Israeli defense companies such as Elbit Systems, and joint exercises involving Israeli forces. According to the statement, these developments illustrate deeper political, cultural, and economic normalization efforts. The groups further claimed that the forum ignores the daily realities faced by women in Gaza, who they say represent nearly 70% of those killed in the conflict, alongside widespread displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and the toll on social and health systems. They added that tens of thousands of civilians, including at least 18,500 children, have been killed, while famine conditions amount to war crimes under international law. PACBI and MACBI called on Arab participants, and especially Palestinians, to withdraw from the forum, arguing that doing so would represent a stand against normalization and a defense of Palestinian rights.
