Rabat – Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, of Moroccan origin, is set to make his first official visit to Morocco in early June.
The visit holds great symbolic importance, marking Ohana’s inaugural visit to Morocco since assuming the role of Speaker of the Israeli Parliament.
According to Israeli radio station Kan 11 News, the official visit is scheduled to take place in early June. Turkish news agency Anadolu also confirmed the news, citing a parliamentary source.
According to the Turkish press agency, Ohana’s visit is a direct response to an official invitation extended by the Moroccan Parliament. The visit is scheduled for next week.
The visit comes after Morocco’s House of Representatives established a Morocco-Israel parliamentary friendship group, although no official announcement has been made regarding its creation. The group is chaired by MP Nor-Edin Elhrouchi from the Democratic and Social Constitutional Group.
Prominent members of the Friendship Committee include Abdelmajid Ben Kamra from the Haraki group, Tarik Kadiri from the Istiqlalien Unity and Egalitarianism group, Abdellatif Zaim from the Authenticity and Modernity group, El Mehdi El Alaoui from the Socialist group, as well as Chafika Lachraf and Raouf Abdellaoui Maan, who is unaffiliated with any specific group or association.
The Moroccan-Isreali politician held several political positions since 2015 such as his role in 2019 as justice minister in the Netanyahu- led government. In addition, he was appointed as minister of internal security from 2020-2021.
The new parliament speaker is of Moroccan descent as his parents were immigrants who traveled from Morocco in the 1950s.
In a speech paying homage to his Moroccan immigrant roots, he said: “If any young boy or girl is watching this ceremony, let them know that no matter who they are or where they come from, I want to tell them that you have the means to get where you want to go.”
Read Also: Amir Ohana of Moroccan Descent: First Openly Gay Parliament Speaker in Israel
