Hebrew State Defense Minister Benny Gantz is in Rabat for a historic visit. It comes almost a year after the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. The opportunity for the two states to sign “security cooperation agreements”.
A security cooperation agreement was signed on Wednesday, November 24 in the morning, between Morocco and Israel. On this occasion, Benny Gantz, visiting Rabat, was received by the Moroccan Minister of National Defense. After the signing, the Israeli Defense Minister took the floor to stress the importance of such an agreement. This “will allow us to exchange our opinions, launch joint projects and promote Israeli exports so far”, he said.
The text provides for future collaborations in different areas: intelligence, industry, military training, and more. This is in addition to already strong ties in the economic and tourist sector.
Regional tension fueled by the agreement?
Barely a year after the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two States, this agreement therefore formally launches their security cooperation.
But such warming of relations between the Hebrew and Shereefian states risks fueling the tension that already exists in the region.
Indeed, Algiers takes a very negative view of this for several reasons. First of all, the reestablishment of relations between Israel and Morocco was done in exchange for Washington’s recognition of the sovereignty of the Shereefian kingdom over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. This exchange of good practices was very badly received by Algiers, which supports the Sahrawi separatists. Then, Algeria has provided unwavering support to the Palestinian cause for decades.
If the visit of the Israeli Minister of Defense strengthens relations between Rabat and Algiers, it, therefore, risks further cooling those of Morocco and Algeria, which have been severed since last August.
For Ignacio Cembrero, a Spanish journalist specializing in Morocco, this rapprochement between Rabat and Tel Aviv risks having consequences in the Maghreb.
“Algeria feels threatened and is looking for allies. The relationship with Iran is going to deepen a lot in recent months, mainly because of the election of Israel in Morocco. The main conflict today in the Middle East which is arguably hostility between Israel and Iran is being transported to the Maghreb through Morocco and Algeria and I think it is a very bad business first for itself, and then for southern Europe.”
For this analyst, this rise in tensions risks worsening the situation in Western Sahara, this territory being a place of indirect confrontation between the two countries.
