Moroccan Delegation Expected to Arrive In Israel on Tuesday

Agadir – A Moroccan diplomatic delegation has left for Israel, an Israeli news channel has reported.

According to I24, the Moroccan delegation, which is expected to arrive on Tuesday, is visiting Israel to prepare for the opening of the Moroccan Liaison Office in Tel Aviv.

The Israeli news reported that Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister, revealed the departure of the delegation during a press conference on February 7.

Bourita revealed that the opening of the communications office in Tel Aviv will mostly be concerned with the launching of direct flights between Israel and Morocco, as well as with improving COVID-19 related cooperation between the two countries.

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Bourita did not reveal the identity of the person who will head the Moroccan liaison office in Tel Aviv. He simply noted that while there is no official Moroccan representative in Israel at the moment, there “is an acting official.” But he did not reveal the “acting” official’s name.

Morocco and Israel have enjoyed rapidly thawing relations in the past few months, following the US’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Bourita spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi over the phone on February 2. A week prior, Bourita had a phone conversation with Israel’s National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabbat. In both conversations, the officials spoke about their countries’ shared desire to make the most of their diplomatic rapprochement.

The two countries officialized their decision to resume relations on December 22, 2020, through a US-overseen Joint Declaration. Israel reopened its diplomatic liaison office in Rabat on January 26, while Morocco is yet to reopen its representation in Israel.

In a recent interview with Morocco World News, Danny Danon, who served as Israel’s 17th Permanent Representative to the UN, said that he is “optimistic that these peace accords will also spread peace between peoples rather than just between countries.”