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Rabat – An authorized diplomatic source from Morocco’s government has denied rumors that the North African country will establish regular direct flights with Israel.
The statement comes in response to an article the Jerusalem Post published on Saturday, alleging that Israel and Morocco are “expected to establish direct flights as the next step in US President Donald Trump’s normalization efforts.”
The publication contains one sentence, with a note saying the story is still developing. As of Sunday at noon, the article has not been updated with more details about the claim.
Other Israeli channels also copied and distributed the allegation.
In response, the Moroccan diplomatic source, quoted by local outlet Le360, described the news as fake.
The rumors come on the heels of Bahrain’s decision on September 11 to establish diplomatic ties with Israel.
This is not the first time rumors of a possible normalization between Morocco and Israel have circulated international media outlets.
Morocco’s government, however, has been making its position clear regarding normalization and relations with Israel for years.
The most recent statement about normalization rumors came from Morocco’s Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othamani, who rejected speculation after the UAE decided to normalize ties with Israel.
El Othmani recalled Morocco’s position, highlighting the country’s priorities in defending the rights of Palestinians and their rights to independence.
He said the Palestinian cause is “red line” for Rabat.
Leading Israeli media have long conflated Morocco’s acceptance of its Jewish minority with an openness to normalization with Israel. This false narrative has empowered Israeli outlets to post rumor-fueled “news” implying that Morocco could be among the top Arabic-speaking countries accepting normalization with Israel.
US media have also speculated on this matter. Weeks ago, the Associated Press quoted diplomats saying President Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner put Morocco on the list of countries he would visit to push for a peace deal with Israel.
With the decision of the UAE and Bahrain, Trump vowed that several other Arab countries will follow the trend.
However, political observers, government officials, and citizens in Morocco continue to reject the idea, expressing Morocco’s attachment to the Palestinian cause.
On September 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said that Morocco’s attachment to the Palestinian cause is “unceasing and unconditional.”
He said Morocco’s stance is “matched only by the sustained effort to find diplomatic, political, legal, and practical steps and channels capable of reaching a solution.”
