Israel Proposes Free Trade Agreement with Morocco Following Diplomatic Normalization

"A free trade agreement is a major objective. (...) We will task a special team to work intensively and quickly on the preparation of a draft agreement to be submitted for the consideration of the two governments, Moroccan and Israeli," he said in an interview with the daily L’Économiste.

He reassures that with such an FTA, the Israeli and Moroccan economies will not be in a competitive relationship, but rather in a complementary one. According to the explanations of the Israeli official, Morocco could benefit from Israel’s vast experience in the water and agriculture technology sectors. Similarly, cooperations based on innovative technologies in the automotive sector could be established.

He also stated that Israel has a lot to learn from Morocco’s automotive industrial power, as well as from Morocco’s ability, located at a crossroads of strategic exchanges, to serve as a bridge between regions. In this sense, thousands of Israeli businessmen plan to visit the kingdom in order to forge partnerships with their Moroccan counterparts.

Mr. Peretz also indicated that Morocco and Israel could create joint companies active in Palestine, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. To materialize these projects, he announced that he would "very soon" travel to Morocco with a delegation of Israeli businessmen who will be able to meet their Moroccan counterparts and initiate a vast and rapid activity".