Israel and Morocco agree to upgrade diplomatic relations

Israel and Morocco announced that they will upgrade their diplomatic relations, moving to full embassy status and appointing ambassadors in each country. The agreement was confirmed in a statement released by the Israeli government’s official Arabic account on the social media platform X.

The decision was reached during a tripartite meeting in New York that brought together Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. The three officials said they reaffirmed a commitment to a series of steps aimed at deepening bilateral ties, including the elevation of their diplomatic missions to embassies and the exchange of ambassadors.

In addition to the diplomatic upgrades, the parties agreed to expand air connections between Israel and Morocco and to work toward finalising agreements that would facilitate mutual investments, as well as broader economic and trade cooperation. Both sides indicated that these measures are intended to strengthen commercial links and people‑to‑people contacts.

Morocco is one of four Arab nations that moved toward normalising relations with Israel in 2020 under agreements brokered by the United States, joining the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. Israel already maintains peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, which were signed in the 1970s and 1990s respectively.

The developments have been noted against a backdrop of Palestinian concerns that the expanding network of Arab‑Israeli normalisation could undermine the long‑standing Arab position that ties diplomatic recognition to Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and the establishment of a Palestinian state.