Number of Israelis or Moroccans, the newspaper tells us whose editorial line is from left to far left, Haaretz, believe that relations between Israel and Morocco find their first roots in the Abrahamic accords signed last December between the two countries. But in fact, Israel and Morocco believe they know the daily of Israel’s socialist obedience, have maintained a close relationship for much longer than that.
Israel and Morocco are building on their cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism and security. Most of the security cooperation between Morocco and Israel is conducted in secret. The two countries primarily use the exchange of intelligence information and a rather sophisticated arms trade such as those for electronic warfare, communications and control systems, a British report said.
In the 1970s, Israel had shipped tanks to Morocco, and other weapons including “Heron” drones delivered via France. Indeed, in 2013, the Moroccan Air Force purchased three Heron drones manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries at a cost of $ 50 million. Israeli military exports, via a third country, would have intensified according to the newspaper between 2000 and 2020 and have remained mostly secret.
But it is difficult to assess the potential for cooperation in a sector which carries out its activities, we will say “clandestinely”. Yet it is clear that Israel and Morocco have common security. As the two countries are part of the moderate axis of the MENA region, war on terrorist organizations is a common need, which can also be a motivator for both countries to participate in regional security forums as in March. 2020 in Casablanca. Israel and Morocco therefore have an interest and a capacity to help each other in dealing with external security challenges based on their experience.
In this context, Israel has a great deal of experience in this area and has made Morocco benefit from it, in particular through the construction of the security wall in its southern provinces. Israel, heavily involved in the arms trade with Morocco, therefore has every interest in concluding other agreements with the Kingdom, as was customary although “secretly” in the past still says the daily which does not seem to have the Kingdom in the nose.
Over the past decades, Israel has reportedly sold weapons and security equipment to 130 different countries. The latest SIPRI report ranks Israel as the eighth largest arms exporter in the world. But notes the daily, it is almost impossible to find a complete list of all these countries. Israel publishes virtually no official information on its military and security exports.
