Morocco and Israel upgrade diplomatic ties to embassy level

Morocco and Israel have agreed to upgrade their diplomatic representation to the level of embassies and appoint ambassadors, marking a new step in strengthening bilateral relations that were resumed in 2020 with US mediation.

A statement published by the Israeli government’s ‘Israel in Arabic’ account on X said the agreement was reached during a “historic trilateral summit in New York” attended by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, and US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.

According to the statement, Israel and Morocco agreed to raise their diplomatic missions to embassies and appoint ambassadors in both countries, as part of efforts to expand cooperation between the two sides.

The two parties also agreed, according to the Israeli foreign ministry, to finalize agreements on investment protection and the prevention of double taxation by the end of 2026, in addition to expanding direct flights and conducting high-level mutual visits in the coming months.

This move follows the resumption of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel in 2020, as part of a normalization process brokered by the United States. In July 2023, Israel officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Morocco was among four Arab countries that took steps to normalize relations with Israel in 2020, alongside the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.