Arab, Israeli Experts Meet in Rabat to Strengthen Regional Cooperation

Rabat – Experts from Israel and Arab countries are meeting in Rabat to strengthen regional cooperation under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

The experts are taking part in a series of conferences to boost regional cooperation between Israel and Arab states. The event is being held in Morocco’s capital Rabat between December 5-7.

The event is organized as part of a partnership between the Atlantic Council N7 and education-focused NGO Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation. The initiative was launched in N7 to advise policymakers on the best practices to normalize relations with Israel.

Dubbed “Conference on Education and Coexistence,” the event aims to offer regional experts from the government, civil society, and academia a platform to discuss further regional cooperation and produce actionable policy recommendations, organizers said in a statement.

“The N7 Initiative continues to be a source of compelling ideas for ways normalization can benefit the citizens of the countries that now have diplomatic relations with Israel,” Senior Director of the N7 Initiative, William Wechsler said.

“We are proud that the governments of the region, and the US administration, look to the N7 Initiative as a key partner in the important work they are undertaking in the Negev Forum and other groupings,” he added.

President of the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation Oren Eisner, commented on the event saying: “It is critical to the future of normalization that the region’s younger generations engage with each other and learn from each other.”

He continued: “Our Conference on Education and Coexistence is designed to produce actionable policy recommendations for the region’s governments that will increase cooperation and foster tolerance in education.”

The aim of the conference is to ensure that “participating governments work closely “to develop stronger and lasting friendships in the Middle East,” he explained.

Senior Adviser to King Mohammed VI Andre Azoulay speaking at the event

According to the organizers, the ongoing conference will be followed in 2023 by a conference on Agriculture, Water, and Food Security held in the UAE, and a conference on regional free trade.

Former US Ambassador to Isreal and distinguished fellow at N7 initiative David M Friedman noted, “Progress in bilateral Israeli-Arab relationships since the Abraham Accords has been impressive.”

Firedman explained that the progress made “must be matched by work to build multilateral programs and institutions that will lead to true regional integration, and demonstrate the benefits of normalization to the citizens of the countries involved.”

In conclusion he detailed “The N7 Initiative represents the most comprehensive non-governmental sponsored undertaking to achieve these goals.”