Morocco and Israel Celebrate a Complete Year of Normalization
In recent news, the State of Israel and Morocco together marked one year to the day the two got together to sign a normalization agreement. The embassies of the respective countries joined hands to host a celebration at the Watergate Hotel and invited all the members of the Congress. Various representatives of different Jewish organizations, as well as Yael Lempert, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the State Department for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, were also present at the event. Mike Herzog, the Ambassador of Israel, talked about how this normalization agreement is important for the country.
He stated that this is not like any other agreement made by the country in a series of Arab-Israeli agreements, as it improves the special relationship that the two countries currently have. In his words, the bond between them goes much deeper than similar geopolitical interests. Herzog went on to say that Israel and Morocco are two equal partners, especially in their highly turbulent region. Looking at the big regional picture, he commented that there has always been a struggle between two camps. But he believes that one of these two camps seeks enlightenment, stability, and advancement. According to the Israeli Ambassador, this camp focuses on future growth and providing hope, as well as enhancing the well-being of the people and bettering their lives.
Talking about the two camps, Herzog elaborated that on one side is a radicalized camp, which is characterized by ideologies of extremists, who want nothing more than to drag the region to its dark past. He added that this is the second camp, which thrives on violence and hatred, which is why Israel and Morocco belong to the first one. In the words of the Israeli Ambassador, the two countries together can advance their shared vision for stable, thriving, and peaceful region. He asserted that he strongly believes that their existing relations, along with the relations between Muslims and Jews at large, could be instrumental in this respect.
Highlighting the standing of Morocco, Herzog said that the Jewish state views it as a vital actor in Africa and the Middle East. He believes that the country is a voice of moderation, conciliation, and reason, which has the ability to build bridges in the region and with all the other regions. According to him, Israel intends to put in a lot of effort to deepen and expand the normalization between Arabs and Israelis and Muslims and Israelis. The Ambassador of Morocco, Princess Lalla Joumala, also spoke on the occasion, saying how the two countries had taken a bold step a year ago to reestablish diplomatic ties between them and open the door to improving bilateral relations.
She went on to say that the normalization agreement between Israel and Morocco is a natural evolution of a longstanding, rich, and multifaceted relationship, which is marked by a deep attachment that the Kingdom has with its Jewish community in Morocco. The princess claimed that the last couple of months have allowed Israel and Morocco to build pathways and bridges, linking their governments, as well as private sector.
