Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Belkhir El Farouk, the Inspector General of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR), was given earlier today an official reception by his Israeli counterpart, with the chief of General Staff at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) welcoming the Moroccan general for his participation in the International Operational Innovation Conference.
Aviv Kohavi, the IDF Chief of General Staff, led “an honor guard” for the Moroccan military official, the IDF tweeted on Tuesday. “For the first time in history, we welcomed the Inspector General of the Moroccan Armed Forces, LTG Belkhir El Farouk, to Israel today.”
In a related tweet, the IDF also confirmed Morocco’s participation in the International Operational Innovation Conference on September 9, noting that 25 military delegations will participate in the week-long conference to discuss shared challenges on the modern battlefield.
Morocco is the only African and Arab country to participate in the conference this year, with most delegations coming from Europe alongside the US, Canada, Australia, or India.
The military conference comes amid rising tensions between Israel and its “traditional enemies” in the MENA region, particularly Iran and its proxy Hezbollah.
On Monday, Kohavi stressed that “IDF has not, does not, and will not stand aside and allow attempts to harm the State of Israel, in any arena.”
“The Hezbollah terrorist army has taken Lebanon hostage, which has taken a toll on the country’s security and economic state,” he added, warning: “Lebanon and the Hezbollah terrorist army will bear the consequences if the civilians, sovereignty, or the assets of the State of Israel are harmed.”
Read Also: Morocco-Iran Rift Surges As Tehran Sets Sights on Africa
On the same day, David Barnea, the director of the Israeli intelligence agency (Mossad), said that the signing of a nuclear deal “will not give Iran immunity from the Mossad operations. We won’t take part in this charade and we don’t close our eyes to the proven truth.”
Outside of the broader MENA geopolitics of Israel-Iran rivalry, Morocco, a longtime outspoken opponent of Iranian interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries, has been scaling up efforts to upgrade its artillery and defense systems to defend its territorial integrity.
General El Farouk’s visit to Israel comes as Rabat and Tel Aviv continue vows to cement their security cooperation to face emerging, shared security threats.
Morocco has over the past months acquired advanced defense systems from Israel — including Skylock Dome System and Barak-LRAD missiles — to further modernize its army’s firepower and further its ability to fend off the Polisario Front, an ally of Hezbollah and a separatist group claiming independence in southern Morocco.
Read Also: Morocco Officially Ends Duty of its Ambassadors to Algeria, Iran
In May 2018, Rabat decided to cut off relations with Iran, accusing the country and its proxy Hezbollah of providing military support to the Polisario.
Since then, Morocco has on numerous occasions addressed Iranian interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries, warning of the role of the Iranian-Hezbollah axis training and arming separatist groups such as the Polisario Front.
Morocco’s warnings have received wide support among Arab countries that are facing similar security challenges.
Last week, the Arab Ministerial Committee reiterated its support for Morocco’s territorial integrity in the face of Iran’s “dangerous and unacceptable practices” as well as its “destabilizing approach to regional security and stability.”
