• Saturday, 23 November 2024
Israel signs defence deal with Morocco
Israel and Morocco signed a security memorandum of understanding on Wednesday during a visit Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz to the North African country. The agreement lays the foundation for cooperation in several fields including intelligence, industrial collaboration and military training, according to a spokeswoman for Gantz. Gantz signed the deal with Moroccan Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for National Defence Abdellatif Loudiyi. “It is a very significant development, which will enable us to work on joint projects and promote industrial cooperation. Relations between Israel and Morocco should be expanded and enhanced," Gantz said. In August, the two countries signed some agreements for political consultations as well as in the fields of culture, youth, sports and air service. Morocco and Israel inked a US-brokered deal to establish official ties late last year, weeks after the deals signed by Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates with Israel. Previously, only two Arab states - Egypt and Jordan - had maintained diplomatic relations with Israel.