Due to pressure from pro-Palestinian supporters in Rabat during the Gaza conflict, many commentators forecast the end of the Moroccan-Israeli rapprochement. It was started by the 2020 tripartite agreement mediated by the United States. Instead, the ongoing Middle East war has further strengthened ties between the two nations. Rabat witnessed firsthand the possible threat posed by a pro-Iranian Polisario proxy in Western Sahara on October 7, 2023. As the war escalated, Morocco, like other Arab nations with diplomatic ties to Israel, had to placate local opinion by lowering the number of public appearances with its new ally.
They are intensifying the tone of their official speeches advocating for a ceasefire and a two-state solution. However, another reality endures in the nation’s security and intelligence domains, far from the packed streets of Tangier or Casablanca, where pro-Palestinian protesters congregate. In actuality, fueled by a shared danger from Iran and a common goal of regional integration, security cooperation between Israel and Morocco is thriving and stronger than ever.
This close relationship is also based on deeper historical and cultural links, which go beyond the pragmatic advantages of collaboration. The former Jewish kingdom of Morocco is the ancestry of many Israeli security leaders. Meir Ben-Shabbat, a Moroccan Jew and former Israeli national security advisor is renowned for doing the allegiance bow in front of King Mohamed VI while reciting the Arabic phrase, “May God bless your age, my master.” Amir Perez, the creator of the Israeli Iron Dome, is another important character. He was born in the little mountain village of Boujad, just as Yassine Manssouri, the chief of the Moroccan intelligence agencies. Today, one in ten Israelis are of Moroccan descent, including prominent politicians like Yaakov Margi, Aryeh Deri, and Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, to mention a few.
Their mutual interest in resisting Iran’s expansion and its anti-Western. Neo-Sasanian ideology, which historically viewed Arabs as vassal nations like the Lakhmids, inspires and strengthens Morocco-Israeli cooperation. Through its regional proxies in nations like Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq, as well as in Western Sahara. The international community ignores this urgent threat; Iran seeks to replicate this pattern. The monarchy was unable to convince its citizens. However, its support for Israel is not opposed to the Palestinian cause but rather to Iran’s nefarious expansionist plans in the area.
Morocco’s balancing act
Given the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, many Moroccans have become more outspoken in calling for an end to normalization with Israel. The Moroccan community has long and established relations with the Palestinian people. They share culture, language, and religion. A Moroccan national who lives permanently in the United States recently carried out heinous terrorist acts, stabbing four people in the center of Tel Aviv. This incident was probably sparked by a strong dissatisfaction with what was happening in Gaza. However, Rabat’s political and security establishment disagrees, realizing that sentimentalism. It cannot govern a nation, especially in the wake of the fall of the last pan-Arabist administration in Damascus.
In addition to more formal ties since the late King Hassan II met Prime Minister Shimon Peres in Rabat in 1986. These institutions have a history of covert collaboration that dates back to the 1960s. Three Israeli-made Heron drones created by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). They were purportedly purchased by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in 2020 for about $48 million. The long-endurance models of the equipment were designed for use in reconnaissance missions along the Western Saharan desert wall.
Morocco’s deepening ties with Israel
Since the start of the war in Gaza, business has only been stronger. Regarding defense, Morocco is about to sign a $1 billion contract with IAI to purchase a spy satellite. When Rabat extradited Nassim Khalibat, local human rights organizations recently criticized Rabat.
Additionally, trade cooperation has grown in the first half of 2024. Bilateral exports totaled $53.2 million, a 64 percent increase over the same time the previous year. Despite being mediated by the United States, this crucial partnership goes beyond Washington’s intervention.
It will be maintained by shared geostrategic interests and history. No matter how vocal the popular opposition in Rabat gets, Morocco has no plans to close its liaison office in Tel Aviv. In the past, they did that during the Second Intifada in 2000.
Since then, Rabat’s desire for Israeli weapons has increased. This was evidenced by the $500 million purchase of Skylock Dome anti-drone systems in 2022 and the $500 million purchase of Barak MX missile systems in 2023. Additionally, in 2024, Israeli Bluebird Aero Systems announced the opening of a drone manufacturing facility in Morocco.
