Three years have passed since the historic agreement was inked among Rabat, Tel Aviv, and Washington, paving the way for the establishment of the Moroccan-Israeli diplomatic ties and reopening of the Israeli Liaison Office.
Amidst the ongoing Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the recent suspension of all consular and diplomatic operations within the Kingdom leading to the departure of the Head of the Israeli Liaison office, questions arise about the future of bilateral relations and the normalization plan.
These questions are heightened in light of the nationwide marches called to protest the aggression and shelling of Gaza, urging for the withdrawal of the normalization agreement.
“The Israeli-Moroccan relations have become officially established and structured through the signing of the Abraham Accords which defines the commitments between the two countries,” said Mohammed Chakir, a Political Expert, in a statement to Hespress EN.
The significance of adhering to this accord stems from the fact that it was endorsed by the United States, which has yielded positive outcomes, including Moroccan gaining diplomatic recognition of its sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara from several European partners, added the expert.
Chakir additionally said that the agreement has contributed to ensuring cooperation at various levels, especially in the military sphere through building a military arsenal and fortifying the Kingdom’s military technology.
It is unlikely Morocco’s commitment to the agreement to be retracted despite the developments in the Middle East, he believes.
“Morocco maintains a balance between its relationship with Israel and its unflinching commitment to the Palestinian cause, which has long been a pillar of the Kingdom’s foreign policy,” underscored the Political expert.
Despite pressure from Israel to increase its diplomatic representation in Morocco from a liaison office to an embassy, said Chakir, the Kingdom remained opposed to this change.
This decision stems from the fact that Morocco’s desire to protect its mutual interests with Israel while still defending the Palestinian cause.
Speaking about the departure of the Israeli Liaison Office’s entire staff from Morocco, the political expert stressed that this decision was first initiated by Israel for security reasons. He also expected their potential return in the future when conditions allow.
“Morocco, as a country that respects its commitments, will keep its ties with Israel since they are structured, and walking out could have ramifications for its relations with both the US and Israel,” concluded Chakir, in a statement to Hespress EN.
During a visit by a US-Israeli group on December 22, 2020, Morocco and Israel inked a joint Declaration, which formalized the beginning of a new era in the bilateral relations
Thus, the Kingdom officially became the Arab League’s sixth member to normalize relations with the state of Israel.
Given the ongoing situation in the Middle East, previous reports ruled out the possibility of Morocco retracting from the normalization agreement with Israel and its commitments with the US.
In addition, it highlighted that Morocco’s foreign policy toward Israel is pragmatic, distinguishing between the country’s “religious and brotherly duty to support Palestinians” and its emphasis on “territoriality and economic development agenda.”
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