Israel, Morocco agree to upgrade ties, open embassies

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made an unannounced trip to New York for a trilateral meeting Wednesday with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, with Israel and Morocco agreeing on a series of steps to upgrade diplomatic and economic ties.

Israel and Morocco, which already have formal diplomatic relations, agreed to elevate their liaison offices to full embassies and appoint ambassadors, according to Sa’ar’s office. The two countries also agreed to expand direct flights, complete economic agreements and arrange reciprocal visits by senior officials.

Sa’ar was also expected to hold a separate one-on-one meeting with Bourita during his visit to New York.

At the trilateral summit, Israel, Morocco and the United States reaffirmed commitments to a series of measures aimed at deepening Israeli-Moroccan relations, Sa’ar’s office said.

“Israel and Morocco agreed to complete, by the end of 2026, agreements on investment protection and the prevention of double taxation, which will facilitate mutual investment and help advance economic and business ties between the peoples and countries,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The countries also agreed to expand direct air service between Israel and Morocco to include flights operated by Moroccan airlines. Sa’ar said those flights were expected to begin within weeks. The two countries also agreed to hold reciprocal high-level visits in the coming months.

The meeting came a day after Waltz hosted an event at his New York residence marking six years since the signing of the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states.

Representatives from Israel, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Kazakhstan attended Tuesday’s event.

“The friendship between the Moroccan people and the Jewish people has deep roots and a glorious history,” Sa’ar said. “The declaration we signed today details practical ways to upgrade ties between Israel and Morocco for the benefit of both peoples, and we will work to implement it.”

Morocco renewed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 through a U.S.-brokered agreement. Morocco, however, has maintained that the move represented the resumption of bilateral relations rather than formally joining the Abraham Accords. The 2020 joint declaration called for full diplomatic relations, direct flights and expanded economic cooperation between the countries.

Israel currently operates a liaison office in Rabat rather than a full embassy, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.