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Israel inks three transportation deals boosting links with Morocco
May 29, 2023
Agreements allow the use of Israeli driver’s licenses in the North African kingdom, encourage direct shipping, promote road safety ties and innovation
Transportation Minister Miri Regev on Monday signed three transportation deals to facilitate exchanges between Israel and Morocco while on a visit to the North African country.
The agreements will allow Israeli driver’s licenses to be used on the roads in Morocco, encourage direct shipping between the two countries, and facilitate exchanges related to road safety and transportation innovation.
Regev signed the deals with her Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Abdeljalil.
The minister tweeted Sunday that she planned to visit and light a candle at the grave of her grandfather, who “was lucky to live a long life in Morocco.”
The North African kingdom normalized its ties with Israel in December 2020, part of a series of deals known as the Abraham Accords, backed by the administration of then-US president Donald Trump.
In exchange, Rabat won a key concession from Washington: recognition of its sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where the Polisario movement seeks independence.
Since the 2020 deal, Morocco’s ties with Israel have developed fast, with Rabat buying advanced drones and other military equipment as well as cybersecurity products.
Bilateral trade between Jerusalem and Rabat grew by a third in 2022, while some 200,000 Israelis visited Morocco, according to official figures. Some 700,000 Israelis are of Moroccan descent, and many have maintained strong ties.
Normalization was a boon for Israeli researchers who sought to formalize academic relationships and conduct research into Jewish communities in Morocco.