The first official visit of an Israeli defense minister to Morocco has served to seal a close security cooperation between two countries that normalized their relations last year under the extensive diplomatic and strategic umbrella deployed by the United States.
Rabat has been the scene on Wednesday from an image that a few months ago seemed science fiction and never seen even in the capitals of the two countries that signed peace with Israel as Cairo (79) and Aman (94): The signature before the cameras
of a memorandum of understanding among the defense ministers of Israel (Benny Gantz) and Morocco (Abdellatif Loudiyi).
“A historic step,” Gantz said, noting that the Covenant will allow strengthening cooperation in all sectors related to safety and defense.
Gantz cited fields as “intelligence, military workouts and collaboration of defense industries” adding that “it has a lot of meaning because it will allow us to exchange opinions and work on joint projects.”
With the heading of the covenant, which opens the door to contracts of technologies and weapons, Israel and Morocco emphasize – and what is more novel publicly – the safety and intelligence aspect in standardized relations after the announcement of US President Donald
Trump eleven months ago.
In exchange for the agreement to resume the relationship with Israel -Rota in the second Intifada 20 years ago – and despite the strong opposition of Palestinian leadership, King Mohamed VI received the US recognition of the Moroccan sovereignty of Western Sahara.
The secret services of Israel and Morocco cooperate since the 1960s when the Moroccan king asked the MOSAD to help personal protection, which subsequently led to a solid coordination in shadow basically focused on the fight against terrorism and jihadism.
The Agreements of Abraham, which also normalized Israel’s relations with United Arab Emirates (EAU), Bahrain and Sudan, add a diplomatic, commercial, tourism, agricultural, technological and military dimension to the Israelomarroquin relationship.
“The relationship is not based on the sale of weapons but in a regional strategic alliance,” clarifies an Israeli source to the world although the Rabat Memorandum is an expected news for its arms industries and Moroccan security agencies.
The two countries consider Iran as a threat but for different reasons and with different degree of urgency and intensity.
Morocco does not hide his concern for the support of Iran to Algeria and, through the Lebanese militia Hizbula, in front of a Polisario.
Its conflicting relationship with Algeria is one of the main reasons for the Moroccan decision of not only promoting cooperation with Israel but to do so before international chambers.
At the same time, Rabat reiterates his support for the Palestinian cause and the creation of a Palestinian state.
In other words, the honeymoon with the Israelis does not have to do with the conflict with the Palestinians in the Holy Land but with the problems and fears of Morocco in their neighborhood.
Israel, meanwhile, considers a threat of territorial security (Proyani militias deployed in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza Strip) and existential (nuclear plan).
In this sense, having allies in the Persian Gulf and Africa is basic for the Israeli authorities.
Hours before climbing the plane chartered by Al Rabat, Gantz warned that Iranian precision drones and weapons can achieve strategic objectives to thousands of kilometers: “This capacity is already endangering Sunni countries, international troops in the East
Medium and also to countries of Europe and Africa “.
“I have presented a floral offering and I have written in the visitors’ book: we will work together for a better future and an association and peace between nations and peoples,” Gantz revealed in his visit to the Mausoleum of King Mohamed V in which he praised so much to the
Current monarch, Mohamed VI, for its “important role in the maintenance of regional peace and stability” as to the culture and history of the African country.
Gantz has also met with the Foreign Minister, Naser Burita who three months ago was the host of his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid.
In the agenda of the Defense Holder before returning this Thursday to Tel Aviv, a meeting with the head of the Moroccan army and with the Jewish community of the country.
The bilateral agreement of a year ago has also the opening of embassies and direct flight lines, travel from delegations such as that made a few days ago by Moroccan journalists to Israel and an increase in commercial exchange.
In Israel, these days are speculated on an unexpected candidate to follow the path of EAU, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco: Libya.
