Israel upgrades ties with Morocco, Rabat remains silent

Morocco and Israel have agreed to upgrade diplomatic representation, exchange embassies, and appoint ambassadors, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa‘ar on X. Morocco has not issued any official comment on the announcement.

A joint statement following a US-sponsored meeting on Wednesday in New York between the two countries’ foreign ministers, confirmed their agreement regarding “the elevation of the diplomatic missions between Morocco and Israel to full embassies and the exchange of ambassadors,” without specifying a timeframe.

Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa‘ar traveled to New York on a secret visit to attend a trilateral meeting Wednesday evening with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, noting that “Israel and Morocco maintain official diplomatic relations, and it is now rumored these relations will see further development.”

Israel in Arabic, an outlet affiliated with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, quoted Sa‘ar as saying, “The friendship between the Moroccan and Jewish peoples is deeply rooted in history and has a rich legacy. The declaration we signed today outlines practical steps to elevate relations between Israel and Morocco in a way that serves the interests of both peoples, and we will work to implement it.”

According to the joint statement, the two countries also agreed to finalize agreements on investment protection and double taxation avoidance by the end of 2026. These measures aim to facilitate reciprocal investments and strengthen economic and commercial ties between the peoples and countries.

The two sides also agreed to expand flights between Israel and Morocco to include flights operated by Moroccan airlines, with this step set to take effect by the end of 2026.

The statement added that both countries decided “to advance high level visits in the coming months.”

In December 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations through US mediation as part of a wave of normalization agreements brokered during the first term of US President Donald Trump.

Morocco remains one of four Arab nations, alongside the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan, that took steps toward normalizing relations with Israel in 2020.