Moroccan, Israeli ministers meet in Rabat to strengthen ties

Morocco’s interior minister held meetings with his Israeli counterpart Moshe Arbel in Rabat on Friday to discuss bilateral relations as the two countries approach three years since normalising ties. 

The two officials met on Friday “within the framework of strengthening the relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel”, according to a statement by the Moroccan interior ministry. 

Moshe Arbel, the Israeli interior minister, is the Knesset leader of the Haredi religious political Party Shas, which is part of Netanyahu’s right-wing ruling coalition. 

The Moroccan public remains steadfastly opposed to increased ties with Israel. 

Despite a lack of popular support, the two countries have been growing closer since late 2020 when Morocco normalised ties with Israel in exchange for US recognition of Rabat’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.

Since then, several top Israeli officials have visited Morocco, including former Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, former Defence Minister Benny Gantz, and more recently Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and US officials are also reportedly working to convene the Negev Forum next month in Morocco. 

Several sources say Rabat is pushing for hosting the summit in the Western Sahara region to gain international recognition of its control over the region.

Morocco and Israel are set to mark the third anniversary of their ties this December. However, anti-normalisation sentiment remains prominent among Moroccans.

“We fight for our national geographical unity as much as we fight for the Palestinian cause… There is no justification for normalisation and we will continue to stand against this betrayal,” Jamal Al-Esri, a member of the Moroccan Front against normalisation, told The New Arab.