Israel and Morocco agreed Wednesday to upgrade their diplomatic ties to full embassies and exchange ambassadors for the first time, almost six years after the two countries renewed diplomatic relations under a US-backed normalization deal.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita reached the agreement during a meeting in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly.
According to a joint statement released after the meeting, Israel and Morocco reaffirmed “the spirit of the Abraham Accords” and “confirmed their agreement regarding the elevation of the diplomatic missions between Morocco and Israel to full embassies and the exchange of ambassadors.”
The Abraham Accords are a series of US-brokered agreements that began in 2020 that established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries. Morocco’s agreement was announced in December 2020, alongside the US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Morocco and Israel had previously established low-level diplomatic relations in 1994, but Rabat suspended them in 2000 during the second intifada in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The two countries did not exchange ambassadors during that period, instead maintaining liaison offices. Their ties were restored in 2020, but diplomatic missions have remained at the liaison level.
The two countries also agreed to finalize “agreements on the protection of investments and the avoidance of double taxation” as well as “take the necessary measures for prompt reinstatement of direct flights between Morocco and Israel, including by Israeli and Moroccan airline companies” by the end of 2026.
Direct commercial flights between Morocco and Israel have been limited in recent years. Morocco’s flagship carrier, Royal Air Maroc, suspended its direct Casablanca-Tel Aviv service following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
Israeli carriers have continued to operate some direct flights to Morocco, including seasonal service to Marrakech, but there are currently no regular direct flights from Rabat or Casablanca to Tel Aviv.
The statement added that all three countries “reaffirm their recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory and their support for Morocco’s serious, credible and realistic autonomy proposal.”
Western Sahara has been disputed since Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975. Morocco subsequently took control of most of the territory, while the Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by Algeria, fought Moroccan forces. A UN-backed ceasefire took effect in 1991, but the dispute remains unresolved and is a key part of a major rift between Algiers and Rabat. Algeria and Morocco severed diplomatic relations in 2021 amid escalating tensions, including over Western Sahara.
Israel recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in July 2023.
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