Morocco and Israel have decided to raise their level of diplomatic representation to the embassy level and appoint ambassadors to each other’s countries. The development came in connection with a trilateral meeting attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
However, the decision does not mean that the embassies have been physically opened or that the ambassadors have begun their duties. The process requires reciprocal appointments, the completion of diplomatic documents and the formal change in the status of the missions in Rabat and Tel Aviv. The names of the ambassadors and the implementation timetable have not yet been announced.
The normalization process began in 2020
Morocco was among the Arab countries that decided on December 10, 2020, to resume diplomatic relations with Israel and enter a normalization process. The process advanced as part of a trilateral diplomatic arrangement linked to the United States’ recognition of Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara.
A joint statement issued by Morocco, the United States and Israel on December 22, 2020, called for the resumption of official contacts and the establishment of peaceful, friendly relations. At that stage, the reopening of liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv was envisaged instead of full embassies. Diplomatic contacts between the two countries thus continued without a transition to embassy status.
Economic and security issues came to the fore
Throughout 2021, talks were held on advancing relations beyond the liaison-office level. Following normalization, economic cooperation, tourism, direct flights, security and defense became prominent areas of relations. The move toward embassy-level ties aims to place contacts in these areas within a more institutional diplomatic framework.
The development is significant in terms of moving the normalization process that began in 2020 into a new phase. It also carries symbolic significance for the expansion of Israel’s normalization process with Arab countries and the framework of the Abraham Accords. At the same time, Morocco’s rapprochement with Israel remains a politically sensitive issue within the country and across the Arab world because of the Palestinian issue and the war in Gaza.
