The visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to Morocco reflects the common commitment to move forward, to give tangible meaning to bilateral relations based on flexible and effective cooperation mechanisms.
Morocco’s foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, assured that "our relationship, as stated by HM the King, draws its strength from the solid attachment of the Jewish community of Moroccan origin to the Kingdom and the unfailing links between this community, including the one existing in Israel, and the person of His Majesty the King," noting that, on this basis, the talks were in-depth and exhaustive on bilateral and regional issues.
The resumption of relations with Israel "reflects the will of HM King Mohammed VI to reactivate the mechanisms of cooperation between the two countries and to relaunch regular contacts, within the framework of healthy and friendly diplomatic ties," he noted.
The resumption of relations with Israel expresses a will and a conviction, expressed by the Sovereign, who personally chaired last December the signing of the tripartite agreement (Morocco-Israel-USA), which laid the foundations of this bilateral relationship that we are building, he said.
Morocco is a land of Hebrew culture
The Kingdom's relationship with Israel is characterized by a particular context relating to the upholding by the Moroccan Constitution of the Hebrew component, as one of the tributaries enriching the plural Moroccan identity.
Moroccan Jews have lived and continue to live in Morocco with their Muslim brothers, within the framework of the concern of His Majesty the King for Moroccan citizens regardless of their religion.
The human dimension is one of the concerns, for this reason, there was a recent inauguration of direct flights between the two countries, which has aroused enthusiasm and pride among Israelis of Moroccan origin, towards their attachment to the person of His Majesty the King and the kingdom of Morocco.
These historical relations will be reflected with the creation of five working groups covering promising sectors, such as research and innovation, tourism, aviation, agriculture, energy, the environment, trade and investment.
Morocco Israel cooperation agreements
Morocco and Israel signed three cooperation agreements related to the fields of politics, culture, youth and sports as well as air services.
The first is a Memorandum of Understanding the establishment of mechanisms for political consultations that aims to contribute to the deepening and strengthening of the multifaceted cooperation relations between the two countries.
The memorandum also gives a chance for the two countries to hold regular consultations to discuss various aspects of bilateral relations, in addition to exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and developments in the regional and international scene.
The consultations on bilateral relations will cover the political, economic, trade, scientific, technical and cultural fields. The second text is a cooperation agreement in the fields of culture, youth and sports.
Convinced that efficient bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, youth and sports will contribute to the strengthening of their relations and the development of mutually beneficial links, the two parties concluded this agreement which establishes a framework through which they support and encourage the development of bilateral cooperation in this regard.
The third agreement concerns air services between the governments of Morocco and Israel. The main objective of this agreement is to promote the international aviation system based on competition between airlines and to establish air transport networks providing services that meet the public's travel and delivery needs, with competitive prices and open market services.
Ensuring the highest level of safety in international air transport and reaffirming the deep concern of both countries with regard to acts and threats against the safety of people and properties in civil aviation, is also among the objectives of this agreement.
USA supports Morocco and Israel’s partnerships
The US Department of State "warmly congratulated" Morocco and Israel, "two close partners" of the United States, on the occasion of the visit to the Kingdom of Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, last august.
The United States will continue to work with Morocco and Israel to create "a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all the people of the Middle East", said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"The United States will continue to work with Israel and Morocco to strengthen all aspects of our partnerships and create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all the people of the Middle East," Blinken pointed out in a statement issued on the occasion of the visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to the Kingdom of Morocco.
The US top diplomat, who welcomed this visit, underlined that "Lapid’s trip — the first to Morocco by an Israeli Foreign Minister since the agreement to establish full diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco was announced — and the reopening of the Israeli Liaison Office in Rabat are significant for Israel, Morocco, and the broader region."