Morocco and Israel have decided to elevate their diplomatic relations to embassy level and appoint ambassadors to each other. The move came in connection with a trilateral meeting attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.
The decision does not mean that the embassies have been formally opened or that the ambassadors have taken up their posts. Its implementation requires reciprocal appointments, the completion of diplomatic documents and the formal change in the status of the missions in Rabat and Tel Aviv. The names of the ambassadors and the implementation schedule have not yet been announced.
From liaison offices to embassy level
The normalization process between the two countries began in 2020. Morocco was among the Arab countries that decided on Dec. 10, 2020, to resume diplomatic relations with Israel and enter a normalization process. The process moved forward under a trilateral diplomatic arrangement linked to the United States recognizing Morocco's claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara.
A joint declaration issued by Morocco, the United States and Israel on Dec. 22, 2020, set out the goal of resuming official contacts and establishing peaceful, friendly relations. At the time, the reopening of liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv was envisaged instead of full embassies. Diplomatic contacts therefore continued without a transition to embassy status.
Economic and security dimensions
Talks were held throughout 2021 on taking relations beyond the liaison-office level. Following normalization, economic cooperation, tourism, direct flights, security and defense emerged as prominent areas of the relationship. The decision to move to embassy level aims to place these contacts within a more institutionalized diplomatic framework.
The decision is significant in terms of moving the normalization process that began in 2020 into a new phase. It also carries symbolic significance for the expansion of Israel's normalization process with Arab countries and the framework of the Abraham Accords. At the same time, Morocco's rapprochement with Israel remains a politically sensitive issue in Morocco and the Arab world because of the Palestinian issue and the war in Gaza.
