Morocco and Israel sign historic security cooperation agreement

Benny Gantz, Israeli Minister of Defense, arrived in Morocco on November 23 for a first official visit, a year after the normalization of relations between the Kingdom and Israel. With a view to strengthening their diplomatic relations, the two countries signed a security cooperation agreement in Rabat on November 24.

The agreement, signed between Benny Gantz and his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Loudiyi, formalizes the Israeli-Moroccan partnership in military cooperation. According to Mr. Gantz, it concerns “the regulation of cooperation in matters of intelligence, the sale of security materials, joint training and the strengthening of close ties between the defense industries” of the two countries.

This new historic phase in the rapprochement between Tel Aviv and Rabat is in line with the “Abraham Agreements”, negotiated with the help of former US President Donald Trump. Morocco, which then obtained Washington’s support for the recognition of its full sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, undertook to normalize its relations with the Hebrew state, as early as December 2020.

“I thank King Mohammed VI and the Minister of Defense for their work in developing relations between the two countries. We have taken a historic step today, ”Minister Gantz said on Twitter.

Recall that several joint projects have been announced between the two countries, since the start of their diplomatic rapprochement. Last July, a cyber defense cooperation agreement was signed. In September, a partnership was announced by the Israeli company Ratio Petroleum with Rabat for the exploration of hydrocarbons off Dakhla, in Western Sahara.