[12][13] Istiqlal held strongly Arab nationalist views[3] and was the main political force struggling for the independence of Morocco.

[14] The leadership of Istiqlal was successful in overcoming “petty rivalries”[15] between the different parties and anticolonial organizations and unifying the nationalist movement.

This factor added to the campaign of Moroccan activists spread across the world and contributed to achieving international visibility and support for their cause.

Establishing crucial contacts for advocating the Moroccan independence abroad happened in Tangier, since it was assigned as an international zone and thus under less influence of the French or Spanish.

Outside of Morocco, important developments in advocating for Moroccan independence happened in Cairo (Egypt), within the United Nations, and in Paris (France).

[17] There was a movement within the Istiqlal Party to unite Muslims and Jews called al-Wifaq (الوفاق), with prominent Jewish figures such as Armand Asoulin, David Azoulay, Marc Sabbagh, Joe O’Hana, and Albert Aflalo.

In 1998, together with the USFP inside the Koutla and other smaller parties, the Istiqlal formed the Alternance, the first political experience in the Arab World where the opposition assumed power through the ballots.