Morocco has been one of the most stable and effective North African countries in countering Islamist extremism and terrorism, maintaining the nation safe from attacks after the 2003 Casablanca bombings and closely cooperating with European authorities in dismantling jihadist cells in the Old Continent and especially in Spain. Morocco has also been cooperating with Israel on security matters.

This is an important point since, when active, Moroccan jihadism has shown consistent capabilities and a high level of danger, as highlighted by the activity of the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM) in North Africa and Europe in the early 2000s. The GICM and its associated members have been linked to the 2003 Casablanca bombings and the 2004 Madrid train bombings. A major crackdown against the organization's networks damaged the GICM's capabilities and the group was removed from the United States’ list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2013, seemingly confirming its complete dissolution.

However, the recent terrorist attack in Tel Aviv involving the 29-year-old Moroccan citizen and green card holder Abdel Aziz Kaddi, who stabbed five people on Tuesday January 21st, raised questions and concerns about a potential new wave of terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Moroccan diaspora in the West; a…