Israel’s Alon Ushpiz Arrives in Morocco, Begins Talks with Moroccan Officials

Alon Ushpiz, the General Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel arrived in Morocco this week to discuss ways of strengthening relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv.

Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced today that its Ambassador and General Director of Political Affairs, Fouad Yazourh, received Ushipz in his office.

The ministry also shared pictures of the meeting, showing both officials discussing bilateral ties between Morocco and Israel.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”fr” dir=”ltr”>L’Ambassadeur, Directeur Général des affaires politiques <a href=”https://twitter.com/MarocDiplomatie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MarocDiplomatie</a> M. Fouad Yazourh, s’est entretenu aujourd’hui avec le Directeur Général du ministère israélien des Affaires Étrangères, <a href=”https://twitter.com/AlonUshpiz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@AlonUshpiz</a> <a href=”https://t.co/f0jp3h269Y”>pic.twitter.com/f0jp3h269Y</a></p>&mdash; Maroc Diplomatie ?? (@MarocDiplomatie) <a href=”https://twitter.com/MarocDiplomatie/status/1412732885350731779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

The visit comes amid vows from Tel Aviv and Rabat to promote diplomatic relations and trade.

After his election as Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett expressed his determination to boost cooperation between the two countries on all levels.

“Israel views Morocco as an important friend and partner in the efforts to advance peace and security in the region,” Bennet said in June.

The Israeli official statement came after King Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory message on his election.

Morocco and Israel re-established ties in December 2020.

Together with the US, the two countries signed a joint declaration underlining their determination to uphold the legal provisions in both documents and to strengthen their ties on all levels.

The agreement provides for the launch of direct flights between the nations, serving both Israelis and Moroccan tourists along with the Jewish diaspora.

The two countries also seek to boost trade and political consultations.

Both countries also opened liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv.

Earlier in July, news outlet Axios reported that Morocco is planning to turn its liaison office  in Tel Aviv into an official embassy.

The news outlet quoted sources familiar with the topic, claiming the move is related to Rabat’s plans to improve relations with Israel, including expediting the implementation of the joint declaration these countries signed with the US in December 2020.

It remains to be seen whether Morocco will implement the measure of turning its liaison office into an embassy.