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Rabat – Former US Army Liteuntal General Steven Blum is advocating for an expansion of the military partnership between Morocco and Israel to address shared, emerging regional security challenges.
In an opinion piece published on Defense News last week, the retired army official laid out his belief that the US-supported Israeli-Moroccan partnership can help mitigate a host of security challenges in Africa, including the fight against violent extremists.
A leader in global counterterrorism
Blum, who served as a deputy commander of the US Northern Command, highlighted Morocco’s invaluable contribution to global counterterrorism efforts, arguing that the North African country is a reliable ally with a proven track record of effectively dealing with terrorist threats.
“Morocco has long stood out among the Islamic and African nations as a leader in counterterrorism, especially within the U.S.-led war on terror,” he argued, noting that proper joint cooperation with the help of Israel’s expertise against terrorism, the North African country could serve as a “bulwark” against terrorism in the Sahel.
Describing Sahel as a “global epicenter of extremist activities, the former senior US officer argued that a joint cooperation between Israel and Morocco could go a long way in addressing the increase and “historic rise in violent extremist activity” in Africa.
Morocco’s security services, which deem the Sahel as a “safe haven” for terrorists, have long raised concerns about the situation in the region and called for greater international engagement to effectively tackle the increasingly worsening situation in the region.
US needs to further military cooperation with Morocco and Israel
Blum believes that the situation requires full Israeli-Moroccan cooperation in Africa. This, however, requires “short-term U.S investment and continuous U.S. strategic focus and political support,” he argued — indicating that Rabat and Tel Aviv still lack advanced military systems to “fully operationalize their partnership.”
The former military official called on the US to offer more opportunities for Israel and Morocco’s militaries to carry out joint exercises.
Recalling Israel’s participation in the 2022 African Lion, the largest US-sponsored military exercise in Africa, Blum said it is necessary to make Israel a full-fledged participant in the military drill.
He also advocated for incorporating Israel into “other regional multilateral exercises” to boost Israel-Morocco interoperability, saying: “This is a crucial first step toward establishing a functional, semi-autonomous security network.”
Blum also recalled Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara, emphasizing the need for the current US administration to uphold America’s support for Morocco in the Sahara dispute.
Blum also called on the US to further boost Morocco’s military-industrial capability.
A recently approved bill shows the US’ commitment to offering increased military support for countries that signed the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel.
The US State and Foreign Operations bill for 2023 includes opportunities that will see Morocco have access to more advanced US weapon systems.
Read Also: US Commander: It Will Be Difficult to Find Host for African Lion As Fantastic As Morocco
Morocco and Israel have increasingly intensified cooperation in different fields since December 2020, and recent reports suggest that the two countries are particularly pushing for greater cooperation in the security sector.
Last month, a high-level Israeli military delegation visited Morocco to meet with senior Moroccan officials in hopes of further advancing the two countries’ deepening strategic cooperation.
During their meetings, the officials especially spoke of the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to address shared security challenges, including terrorism.
Beyond security, trade has been the other focus of improving ties between Israel and Morocco. The two countries have notably vowed to boost their trade cooperation since establishing diplomatic relations in late 2020.
While bilateral trade did not notably rise in recent months, Israel’s Minister of Economy Orna Barbivai said in February this year that her country’s goal is to raise the volume of trade with Morocco to $500 million, up from 130 million in 2021.
