Morocco and Israel have agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relations to full embassy level and exchange ambassadors, prompting condemnation from Moroccan anti-normalisation campaigners.
The agreement was reached following a trilateral meeting in New York between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.
Under the agreement, the existing diplomatic missions maintained by Morocco and Israel will be elevated to full embassies and ambassadors will be appointed.
The two countries also agreed to restore and expand direct flights, arrange high-level bilateral visits and deepen economic and trade relations.
According to a joint statement following the talks, Morocco and Israel will seek to conclude agreements on investment protection and the prevention of double taxation before the end of 2026.
Direct flights operated by both Moroccan and Israeli airlines are also expected to resume before the end of the year.
The statement said establishing “full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations” between Morocco and Israel was in the interests of both countries and would contribute towards peace.
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Israeli and US reaction
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the agreement, saying relations between the two countries had significant potential.
“The relationship between Israel and Morocco is important and holds great potential for both our peoples,” Sa’ar said.
He thanked the United States for its role in strengthening relations and said the latest measures would be implemented soon.
US Ambassador Mike Waltz portrayed the agreement as evidence of the durability of the Abraham Accords, which were launched during Donald Trump’s first presidency.
“The naysayers were wrong,” Waltz said. “Six years in, the Abraham Accords have withstood every test – and today in NY, we proved it again.”
He said Morocco and Israel had agreed to advance cooperation in areas including security, trade and regional integration.
Morocco restored relations with Israel in December 2020 as part of a US-brokered trilateral agreement.
As part of the deal, Washington recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, breaking with the previous US position.
The United States and Israel reaffirmed their recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara during the latest talks.
Moroccan anti-normalisation group condemns move
The latest agreement has drawn a strong response from the Moroccan Observatory Against Normalisation, which issued a statement on Thursday condemning the decision to elevate diplomatic representation to embassy level.
The organisation denounced what it described as growing Israeli penetration of Morocco’s political, cultural, media, religious and symbolic spheres.
Editorial credit: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com
It said it rejected attempts to turn Morocco into what it called a “zone of influence for the Zionist project.”
The Observatory also strongly criticised the connection between Morocco’s normalisation with Israel and the Western Sahara dispute.
It rejected using the Sahara issue as a justification for normalisation or turning Moroccan territorial integrity into a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations.
The organisation argued that linking Morocco’s national territorial claims to Israel undermined the legitimacy of those claims and said Moroccan sovereignty should be protected through independence rather than dependency.
The reaction reflects continuing opposition to normalisation within Morocco, where large pro-Palestinian demonstrations have repeatedly taken place since Israel launched its war on Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Demonstrators have regularly demanded that Rabat sever its relations with Israel.
Relations deepen despite Gaza
Morocco was one of four Arab countries – alongside the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan – which moved towards normalising relations with Israel in 2020 under agreements brokered by the United States.
But unlike the UAE and Bahrain, Morocco and Israel had until now maintained liaison offices rather than full embassies.
Relations have continued to develop in areas including trade, tourism and security despite widespread anger in Morocco over Israel’s actions against Palestinians.
