Morocco to Open Embassy in Israel This Summer, US Confirms

The presence of Israel as an observer country at African Lion 2022, the largest military exercise in Africa, co-organized by Morocco and the United States, is a further step in strengthening relations between the two countries, said the US embassy in Rabat.

The mutual opening of an embassy in the two countries would be the symbol that this resumption of relations has taken a decisive turn. Postponed several times, the act will be carried out this summer by Morocco during an official visit by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. "This morning, with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, we decided to open embassies in Jerusalem and Morocco in a few months," Yaïr Lapid, the Israeli Foreign Minister, said during a visit to Morocco.

Even though Morocco communicates very little on the issue, US Ambassador to Morocco Jerome Sherman announced that the two "close allies" of the United States "are making progress towards transforming their respective diplomatic liaison offices into full-fledged embassies." He stressed that "strengthening this relationship will create new opportunities for peace and prosperity to flourish in the region," reports Jeune Afrique.

Nasser Bourita should embark on a regional tour that will take him to Israel for the inauguration of this embassy. However, the pan-African media points out that it will no longer be in Jerusalem as Morocco would have wished, but rather in Tel Aviv. Even though Jerusalem is the official capital of the Hebrew state, it is not recognized as such by some countries. Installing Morocco’s embassy there would spark endless controversy.

Since the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel, several official visits have been made by the two parties. The latest is that of Ayelet Shaked, Israeli Minister of the Interior. "My goal, in a month, is to sign a final agreement to bring Moroccan nurses and construction workers to Israel. The relationship between the two countries has enormous potential," the minister said at a press conference.