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Israel–Morocco relations

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Israeli–Moroccan relations
Map indicating locations of Morocco and Israel

Morocco
Israel
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Morocco, Tel Aviv (upgrading liaison office)[1][2]Embassy of Israel, Rabat (under construction)[3]

The State of Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco formally established diplomatic relations in 2020,[4] when both sides signed the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement in light of the Abraham Accords.[5] While official ties had previously not existed due to the Arab–Israeli conflict, the two countries maintained a secretive bilateral relationship on a number of fronts following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. For many years, Moroccan king Hassan II facilitated a relationship with Israeli authorities, and these ties are considered to have been instrumental in stabilizing Morocco and striking down possible anti-monarchy threats within the country.[6][7] The Israeli passport is accepted for entry into Morocco, with a visa granted on arrival.[8] With the bilateral normalization agreement in December 2020, Morocco officially recognized Israeli statehood. Almost three years later, in July 2023, Israel officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.[9][10][11]

History

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Early years

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Morocco had a large Jewish population prior to Israel's independence from the British in 1948, and hundreds of thousands of Israeli Jews are of Moroccan origin.[12] The 1948 riots of Oujda and Jerada prompted the majority of Moroccan Jews to flee from the country.[13]

Reign of Hassan II (1961–1999)

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Hassan II and Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres, 1994

Under Hassan II, the topic of Israel was highly controversial in Morocco, and for this reason contacts with Israel were only made under the table. During what is known as Operation Yachin, Morocco allowed 97,000 Jews to emigrate to Israel between November 1961 and spring 1964.[14] They, however, only allowed this in exchange for money: Israel paid $100 per immigrant for the first 50,000 Jews, and $250 per immigrant thereafter.[14]

In the 1965 Arab League Summit in Casablanca, Hassan II invited Israeli spies from Shin Bet and Mossad to spy on the other Arab leaders' activities, thus was instrumental in causing the Arabs' defeat to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.[15]

In contrast, during the Yom Kippur War, Morocco supported the Arab coalition by sending an expeditionary force of 5,500 men to the Golan and the Sinai.[16]

During 1980s, Hassan II attempted to break the deadlock to recognize Israel by meeting with Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres in Rabat in 1986, but was met with backlash and protests from the Arab League and Moroccans alike, forcing Hassan II to withdraw his attempt.[17] Nonetheless, Hassan II maintained a bond with Peres, and Peres voiced his condolences when Hassan II died in 1999.[18] According to The New York Times some diplomats said [19] the Moroccan king's initiative to meet Mr. Peres, was the product of several factors. One factor, they said, was that King Hassan was increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in the Middle East peace process, which has been stalemated. Even more important, diplomats[which?] said, was King Hassan's unsuccessful efforts to convene an Arab summit meeting here, despite months of maneuvering and overtures to ''moderate'' Arab leaders.[citation needed]

Reign of Mohammed VI (1999–present)

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King of Morocco Mohammed VI

Like late Hassan II, his son King Mohammed VI of Morocco, whose reign began in 1999, maintained unofficial relations with Israel. Mohammed VI's advisor, André Azoulay, is an instrumental Jewish Moroccan who facilitated the growth of Morocco in both economic and political terms.[20]

Morocco also attempted to solve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict by dispatching another Jewish aide close to Israel, Sam Ben Shitrit, to solve the conflict and make peace between the two.[21]

The two countries established low-level diplomatic relations during the 1990s following Israel's interim peace accords with the Palestinian Authority. Until the early 2000s, Morocco operated a liaison office in Tel Aviv and Israel one in Rabat, until they both were closed during the Second Intifada.[22][23][24] The two countries have maintained informal ties since then, with an estimated 50,000 Israelis traveling to Morocco each year on trips to learn about the Jewish community and retrace their family histories.[25]

Due to the growing anti-Iranian sentiment on both sides, as both countries have problems with the Iranian regime led by conservative Islamists, Morocco and Israel have sought to make their ties closer. Both countries participated in the US-led February 2019 Warsaw Conference, aimed to be anti-Iranian.[26]

In January 2020, Morocco received three Israeli drones as part of a $48 million arms deal.[27]

Israel–Morocco normalization agreement

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Main article: Israel–Morocco normalization agreement
Visit of American-Israeli delegation to Rabat, December 2020
Morocco recognizes Israeli sovereignty
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In September 2020, U.S. president Donald Trump announced he was seeking direct flights between Rabat and Tel Aviv.[28]

On 10 December 2020, Donald Trump announced that Israel and Morocco had agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.[5] Morocco then communicated to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu its recognition of Israel.[4] As part of the agreement, the United States agreed to recognize Morocco's Annexation of Western Sahara while urging the parties to "negotiate a mutually acceptable solution" using Morocco's autonomy plan as the only framework. Joint Declaration of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United States of America and the State of Israel was signed on 22 December 2020.[29]

On 22 December, El Al launched the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco following the normalization agreement. Senior advisor to the U.S. president Jared Kushner and Israel's national security advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat were among the high-level officials on board the flight.[30]

On 25 July 2021, two Israeli carriers launched direct commercial flights to Marrakesh from Tel Aviv.[31] On 11 August 2021, Morocco and Israel signed three accords on political consultations, aviation and culture.[32] In November 2021, Morocco and Israel signed a defense agreement.[33]

Israeli president Isaac Herzog and King Mohammed VI began a correspondence after the normalization of relations. Herzog sent King Mohammed a letter during Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s visit to Morocco, and the King replied in August 2021 with a letter in which he wrote: “I am convinced that we shall make this momentum sustainable in order to promote the prospects of peace for all peoples in the region.”[34] Herzog also sent condolences to King Mohammed after the tragic death of the little boy Rayan, who died after falling down a well, prompting a high-profile rescue effort.[35]

In 2022, Israel and Morocco agreed to cooperate on sustainable agriculture, and aimed to boost ties in tech.[36][37][38] The following year, the two countries agreed to cooperate on desalination and food security projects,[39] signed an MOU to collaborate on aeronautics and Artificial intelligence,[40] aimed to boost bilateral cooperation in the fields of innovation and scientific research,[41] and aimed for closer military and cybersecurity ties.[42][43]

On May 29, 2023, Miri Regev visited Morocco in an official capacity as the Israeli Transport Minister, marking the first trip by an Israeli Transport Minister to the North African nation.[44] Regev's trip had a personal dimension as her father was born in Morocco, and she planned to light a candle at her late grandfather’s grave in tribute to her Moroccan heritage.[45] The visit drew controversy from several political parties, such as the Democratic Federation of Leftists (FGD), the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), and the Justice and Development Party (PJD), due to their opposition to normalizing relations with Israel.[46] During her visit, Regev met her Moroccan counterpart, Mohammed Abdeljalil, the Minister of Transport and Logistics. They signed three agreements focused on transport cooperation, including mutual recognition of driving licenses, fostering direct maritime transport, and enhancing collaboration on road safety measures and innovation.[47]

Israel recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara
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On July 17, 2023, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara in a letter to King Mohammed VI.[48] Netanyahu stated that Israel's decision would be applied in all relevant governmental actions and communicated to the United Nations, regional and international organizations, and all countries with which Israel has diplomatic relations. He also expressed a favorable consideration for opening a consulate in the city of Dakhla, located in the Western Sahara.[49][50]

In September 2023, it was announced that in a historic first, the head of Morocco's Senate, Enaam Mayara, would visit the Israeli Knesset on September 7.[51]

Moroccan Jewish community

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Main article: History of the Jews in Morocco

Jews have a long historical presence in Morocco, where they are presently the largest Jewish community in the Arab world. The Moroccan government has tolerated its Jewish community, even after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, facilitating the secret tie between Israel and Morocco. Moroccan-organized Jewish emigration to Israel continued while the kingdom still managed to maintain strong ties with the Israeli government through its remaining Jews.[52] Moroccan mellahs (Jewish Quarters) also exist in some cities.

Morocco is the only Arab nation to have a Jewish museum, which has been praised by Moroccans and Jewish communities alike. A large community of Moroccan Jews live around the world.[53]

Post-normalization relationship

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Military rapprochement

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In July 2022, it was the first time that the Chief of the Israeli Army, Aviv Kochavi, made an official visit to Morocco, strengthening their strategic and military alliance.[54]

In June 2023, Israel participated for the first time in the African Lion military manoeuvres. According to the Israeli military spokesperson, "A delegation of 12 soldiers and officers from the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion left Israel on Sunday to take part in the African Lion 2023 manoeuvres, which are taking place in Morocco".[55] However, the previous year, the Israeli army participated in African Lion as international military observers, which means that its soldiers did not take part in the exercises.[56]

Official visits

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On June 7, 2023, Amir Ohana (himself of Moroccan origin), the leader of the Israeli parliament affiliated with Likud (a right-wing party), made the first official visit to the Moroccan parliament, marking a historic milestone as the first visit to a Muslim country.[57] This visit took place on a symbolic date, referring to the Six-Day War, also known as the Naksa. However, there were also protests held to express opposition to this visit.[58]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Morocco to upgrade its Israel liaison office to embassy status". i24NEWS. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  2. ^ Kasraoui, Safaa (18 July 2023). "Morocco Considers Opening of Embassy in Israel". Morocco World News. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  3. ^ El Atti, Basma (27 February 2023). "Israel starts construction work of new embassy in Rabat". The New Arab. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Trump announces Morocco and Israel will normalize relations". Arab News. December 10, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Israel, Morocco agree to normalize relations in latest U.S.-brokered deal". reuters.com. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  6. ^ "The two faces of King Hassan II". The Independent. July 25, 1999.
  7. ^ "A look at Israel's decades-long covert intelligence ties with Morocco". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  8. ^ Mhajne, Anwar (31 October 2018). "What it's like to travel the world as a Palestinian on an Israeli passport". Quartz.
  9. ^ "Israel recognises Western Sahara as part of Morocco". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  10. ^ "Israel recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara". AP News. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  11. ^ Eljechtimi, Ahmed (2023-07-17). "Israel recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  12. ^ Ray Hanania (December 10, 2020). "Trump announces Morocco and Israel will normalize relations". Arab News. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  13. ^ "Oujda & Djerada Victims". www.sephardicgen.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  14. ^ a b Frederic ABECASSIS Archived February 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, QUESTIONS ABOUT JEWISH MIGRATIONS FROM MOROCCO "OPERATION MURAL" (SUMMER 1961): RETURN FROM DIASPORA OR FORMATION OF A NEW DIASPORA? "Since 1960, indirect talks had been initiated between the Israeli authorities and the heir to the throne, and even with the leftist leader, Mehdi Ben Barka (Bin-Nun, 2008). According to Yigal Bin Nun (2009), the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs was progressively convinced to consider financial compensation to the departure of the Jews, as it had been done in Iraq and Romania. In early May 1961, Isser Harel, the Director of the Mossad, decided to entrust to Alex Gatmon, chief of the Misgeret in Morocco, the mission to contact Jewish intermediaries to start negotiations with the Moroccan authorities. By the end of July, with the collaboration of Sam Benazeraf and Dr Isaac Cohen Olivar, he was negotiating with Abdelkader Benjelloun (Minister of Labour) and Moulay Ali Alaoui (the King's cousin and brother-in-law) and came to a compromise agreement. An economic clause was planned: half a million dollars would be paid as a down payment for the emigration of 50,000 Moroccan Jews to Europe, and then, 100$ per capita (250$ after the 50,000th). A humanitarian association, The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) would be the façade for the Israeli emissaries. The Moroccan authorities demanded that the Jews leave Morocco as entire families and not as single and selected migrants, as was the case since 1953. Furthermore, Alex Gatmon refused to dissolve his network "Misgeret" in Morocco, and clandestine emigration kept on until the end of the negotiations. Raphaël Spanien, the HIAS representative in Morocco, negotiated with colonel Oufkir collective passports issue by the Ministry of Interior. By the end of November 1961, Operation Yakhin had begun. From then till 1964, 97,005 Jews left Morocco with the tacit agreement of the Moroccan authorities."
  15. ^ Bergman, Ronen (15 October 2016). "Mossad listened in on Arab states' preparations for Six-Day War". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  16. ^ Touchard, Laurent. "Guerre du Kippour : quand le Maroc et l'Algérie se battaient côte à côte". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  17. ^ Miller, Judith (July 23, 1986). "Peres and Hassan in Talks; Syria Breaks Moroccan Ties". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  18. ^ Gregory, Joseph R. (July 24, 1999). "Hassan II of Morocco Dies at 70; A Monarch Oriented to the West". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  19. ^ Miller, Judith (23 July 1986). "Peres and Hassan in Talks; Syria Breaks Moroccan Ties". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  20. ^ News, Morocco World (October 16, 2017). "André Azoulay: Audrey Azoulay 'Deservedly' Won UNESCO Chief Vote". Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ Wootliff, Raoul. "'Morocco's king dispatches Jewish aide to push Israeli-Palestinian talks'". www.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
  22. ^ "His Majesty King Mohammed VI had a phone call with the President of The United States Mr. Donald Trump". Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  23. ^ "Moroccan team in Israel to set up liaison office: source". Al-Arabiya. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  24. ^ "Morocco's envoy arrives in Israel to reopen liaison office". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  25. ^ "Israel, Morocco agree to normalise relations in US-brokered deal". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  26. ^ Koundouno, Tamba François (February 18, 2019). "Spotlight on Rumored Morocco-Israel Normalization after Alleged Secret Meeting". Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  27. ^ "Rabat dispose enfin de ses drones israéliens". Intelligence Online (in French). 29 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  28. ^ "After UAE and Bahrain deals, Trump said aiming for direct Israel-Morocco flights". Times of Israel. 12 September 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  29. ^ "Joint-Declaration-US-Morocco-Israel" (PDF). www.state.gov.
  30. ^ "First Israel-Morocco Direct Commercial Flight Takes Off". Barron's. 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Israeli airlines start direct flights to Morocco after improved ties". Reuters. 25 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  32. ^ "Morocco, Israel Sign Cooperation Agreements". Asharq Al-Awsat. 12 August 2021. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  33. ^ Ari Gross, Judah (24 November 2021). "In Morocco, Gantz signs Israel's first-ever defense MOU with an Arab country". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  34. ^ "Moroccan King writes Herzog, hopes relations bring regional peace". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  35. ^ "President sends condolences to Moroccan king on death of boy Rayan in well". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  36. ^ "Morocco & Israel to step up cooperation in smart & green farming – The North Africa Post". Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  37. ^ "i24NEWS". www.i24news.tv. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  38. ^ Atalayar (2022-02-15). "Morocco and Israel strengthen cooperation in smart agriculture". Atalayar. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  39. ^ Staff, The Media Line (2023-04-30). "Morocco, Israel Collaborate on Water, Food Security Projects Amid Political Tensions". The Media Line. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  40. ^ "Israel, Morocco sign MoU to build AI and Aeronautics innovation center". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  41. ^ "Morocco, Israel seek closer cooperation in scientific research". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  42. ^ "Israel boosting military ties with Morocco in fields of cybersecurity, intelligence". www.aapeaceinstitute.org. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  43. ^ Solomon, Ariel Ben (2023-01-18). "Israel and Morocco bolster cybersecurity and intel ties". JNS.org. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  44. ^ "Miri Regev Makes Historic Visit to Morocco". The Moroccan Times. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  45. ^ "Miri Regev Connects with Moroccan Roots During Historic Visit". The Moroccan Times. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  46. ^ "Miri Regev's Controversial Visit to Morocco". The Moroccan Times. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  47. ^ "Historic Agreements Signed During Miri Regev's Visit to Morocco". The Moroccan Times. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  48. ^ "Israel recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Sahara". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  49. ^ Eljechtimi, Ahmed (2023-07-17). "Israel recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  50. ^ Kasraoui, Safaa. "Israel Officially Recognizes Morocco's Sovereignty Over Western Sahara". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  51. ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie. "In first, head of Moroccan senate to make official visit to Knesset on Thursday". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  52. ^ "Return To Morocco - PalestineRemix". interactive.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
  53. ^ Cohen, Alecia (5 November 2016). "Museum of Moroccan Judaism (Jewish Museum) in Casablanca". Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  54. ^ "Israeli army chief lands in Morocco for first visit as ties normalise". France 24. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  55. ^ Rabat, Basma El Atti ــ (2023-06-06). "Israeli soldiers join African Lion military drill in Morocco". Newarab. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  56. ^ "Israel joins African military exercises in Morocco". Middle East Monitor. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  57. ^ "Première visite au Maroc d'Amir Ohana, président de la Knesset – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  58. ^ AfricaNews (2023-06-08). "Maroc : manifestation contre la visite du chef du Parlement israélien". Africanews (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-10.

Further reading

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