Israeli Government Approves Negev Forum For Regional Cooperation

Rabat – The Israeli government has approved a proposal calling to establish the Negev Forum as a mechanism for regional cooperation.

Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid broke the news on social media on Sunday, tweeting: “Today, the government passed a decision to formalize the work of the Negev Forum & advance regional cooperation in key areas.”

Lapid specified that the regional cooperation under the newly-established forum is set to prioritize food and water security, energy, education, health, tourism, security, and climate.

“Together, we’re building a new Middle East,” he added.

Last week marked the second anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords.

Celebrating the historic event, the US embassy in Israel issued a statement in which it stressed that the normalization agreements “have been transformational for Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.”

According to the statement, the agreements “have led to new forms of cooperation and regional integration in the Middle East and beyond, including the historic Negev Forum, which brought us together with Israel and its neighbors.”

Recalling its commitment to reinforcing regional security and peace, the embassy stressed that the US seeks to “strengthen and deepen these partnerships in the years to come.”

In March, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita participated in the Negev Summit in Israel alongside high-level officials from the US, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.

During a press conference, the Moroccan diplomat stressed that the summit and the Arab-Israeli partnerships reflect a genuine and sincere belief in peace in the Middle East.

Describing the Moroccan decision to re-establish relations with Israel as a “move of conviction,” Bourita noted that it was “a natural decision based on this long-standing relationship between Morocco and Israel and between the Kings of Morocco and the Jewish community.”

Morocco and Israel’s mutual interest in advancing bilateral relations in key sectors such as defense, tourism, and trade have driven the relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv over the past two years.

Officials from both countries have maintained that the recent bilateral decision to build an Israeli embassy in Rabat reflects their shared, genuine commitment to consolidate cooperation despite persisting domestic and external criticism of relations.