Moroccan delegation visits Israel amid normalization

JERUSALEM

A delegation of Moroccan media professionals and civil society representatives is visiting Israel upon an invitation from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, according to Israeli media on Tuesday.

The official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Moroccan delegation arrived in Israel on Sunday for a six-day visit.

On Nov. 14, Israeli Ambassador to Morocco, David Govrin, said in a Twitter post that he received an eight-member Moroccan delegation ahead of their visit to Israel.

"At the invitation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a delegation of Moroccan journalists and civil society representatives will visit Israel in the coming days," Govrin said.

He added that the aim of the visit was “to strengthen and consolidate cultural, media and social cooperation between the two countries”.

Moroccan authorities have not yet commented on the visit.

On Dec. 10, 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations between them after they were suspended in 2002 following the second Palestinian intifada, making Morocco the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan.

Since then, an Israeli embassy has been opened in Morocco during a visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to Rabat last August.

The Moroccan liaison office in Tel Aviv was also reopened, and a direct flight between the two countries was launched.