update deskBenny Gantz

Gantz announces visit to Morocco, defense deal reportedly in works

Relations between the two countries have dramatically improved since last year’s signing of the Abraham Accords.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz speaks at an event at the Knesset celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords, Oct. 11, 2021. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz speaks at an event at the Knesset celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords, Oct. 11, 2021. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz plans to visit Morocco on Nov. 24, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced on Monday.

While there, he is expected to sign a defense deal between the two countries.

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalized relations with Israel last year under the framework of the Abraham Accords, which was brokered by the United States.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited Morocco in August—the first by an Israeli minister since 2003.

In October, the Israeli National Security Council canceled a travel alert that had been in effect for Morocco for more than a decade.

Morocco has also started teaching Jewish history and culture in schools; an Israeli novel in Hebrew has been published for the first time into Moroccan Arabic; El Al and Israir have launched regular direct flights to Morocco; and Israeli universities have been forming partnerships with Moroccan ones to encourage joint research, primarily in the science and technology fields.

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