Morocco-Israel Security Cooperation Deepens Paranoia in Algeria

Rabat – Amid fears of escalating tensions between Algeria and Morocco, many Algerian officials have voiced their concern over deepening security cooperation between Morocco and Israel.

According to reports in Algerian media, the recent signing of a security agreement between Rabat and Tel-Aviv has convinced many senior officials in Algiers that Morocco is preparing itself for a potential conflict with its eastern neighbor.

Although none of the countries want to create further instability and war in the region, officials in Algeria say they are ready for an all-out war with Morocco, French news outlet L’Opinion has reported.

The French newspaper quoted sources close to the Algerian military as stressing that collaboration between the Israeli military and Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces may prove game-changing, as “in three years, Morocco’s military will overshadow Algeria’s.”

“Algeria does not want war with Morocco, but it is ready to do it,” one source told L’Opinion, emphasizing that if a war is to break “it has to be today, because we are militarily superior at all levels, which may not be the case in a few years.”

With the re-establishment of relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv, Alger is anxious about the military imbalance that may result from deeper security cooperation between Israel and Morocco.

“The weapons that worry Algerians the most are those related to electronic warfare and drones,” L’Opinion quoted its source as saying.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has sold to Morocco kamikaze drones for $22 million. The kamikaze drone in question, Harop, carries 20 kg of explosives and can remain in the air for up to seven hours, with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers.

Although Alger boasts about its developed military equipment, it considers the Kamikaze drones as a strong system that might defeat its army.

The appointment of the Moroccan-Israeli Amir Peretz as head of IAI will further accentuate the paranoia in Algeria, L’Opinion said.

Born in the city of Bejaad in the Moroccan province of Beni-mellal-Khenifra, Peretz has never renounced his Moroccan nationality.

For Algerian sources quoted by L’Opinion, at stake between Morocco and Algeria is the “leadership in the region.”

As Algeria aims to regain its position among the strongest military powers in Africa, the sources stressed, “we must implement a more aggressive diplomatic strategy.”

L’Opinion’s article recalled that Algeria spends more money on its army than Morocco. “Over the last ten years, Algiers has bought twice as much equipment ($10.5 billion) as Morocco ($4.5).”

In August, Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco and has since intensified its actions to challenge Morocco’s territorial integrity.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in interviews with the Algerian press that his government is determined to sustain tensions with Morocco and refuses all kind of mediation to end the rift between the two neighbors.