Israeli foreign minister visits Morocco after normalization of ties

JERUSALEM

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday started his first official visit to Morocco since reestablishment of ties between the two countries last year.

Lapid's visit is the first for an Israeli foreign minister to the North African kingdom since 2003.

“I am going to Morocco to represent Israel and dedicate the Israeli mission in Rabat, the capital,” Lapid said. “The historic trip is a continuation of a years-long friendship and a deep connection to the roots and traditions of the Jewish community in Morocco and the large community of Israelis with origins in Morocco.”

According to a statement by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Lapid will inaugurate the Israeli Liaison Office in Rabat and will meet with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita.

Lapid is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Welfare Minister Meir Cohen, Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Ushpiz, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Ram Ben Barak and a senior official from the Health Ministry.

Israel opened a liaison office in Rabat in 1994 after the signing of the Oslo accord between Tel Aviv and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, but the office was closed in 2002 following the eruption of the second Palestinian intifada.

On Dec. 10, 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations between them, making Morocco the fourth Arab country to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar