Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi has welcomed the renewal of relations between his country and another Arab country – Morocco – that was achieved under the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump and his team.
Late on Thursday, Trump announced that he had brokered a peace deal between Israel and Morocco, with the deal implying the establishment of full diplomatic ties and air travel between the two nations.
And also the U.S. recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region of Western Sahara.
“I welcome the important news from Washington today (Thursday) on the renewal of relations between Israel and Morocco.
The State of Israel thanks U.S. President @realDonaldTrump and his team for advancing peace and stability in the Middle East, and for their support of Israel,” Ashkenazi tweeted.
The agreement reflects “the deep and long-standing friendship” between the two countries, Ashkenazi added, calling on other Arab countries to join the Trump-sponsored Abraham Accords.
Besides that, Israel’s Israir airline announced the possible launch of direct flights to the North African country within three months, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth news outlet.
“If all parties are serious, direct flights may start during three months,” Israir CEO Uri Sirkis said.
After the deal announced, another Israeli airline – El Al – said that it was preparing to carry out direct flights to Morocco after receiving the necessary authorisation.
Morocco has become the fourth Arab country and the sixth altogether to normalise relations with the Jewish state following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan this year, as well as Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades earlier.
Israel and Morocco had established low-level diplomatic ties during the 1990s in the wake of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, also known as Oslo 2, but those ties were suspended after the outbreak of Palestine’s second intifada (uprising) in 2000.
Morocco has been home to a large number of people from the Jewish community. (Sputnik/NAN)