Israel and Morocco reach defence partnership

A defence cooperation partnership was signed by Israel and Morocco at the Israel–Morocco Joint Military Committee in Tel Aviv, as reported by Business Insider Africa and various agencies on January 9th.

The agreement was reached after several days of closed-door meetings, strategic briefings and professional exchanges between Moroccan and Israeli military officials, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

In a statement, the IDF said, “The meeting constitutes another milestone in deepening security cooperation between Israel and Morocco, a key partner for regional stability and security, and marks five years since the renewal of relations within the framework of the Abraham Accords.”

Under the US-backed Abraham Accords, which were established in 2020, Israel has sought to normalise ties with Arab countries, including Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco.

Additionally, Israel views defence cooperation as a strategic gateway to North and West Africa, where military ties will allow Israel to extend its security reach beyond the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf.

Since signing the Accords in December 2020, Morocco has acquired the Barak MX air defence system from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and ordered ATMOS 2000 self-propelled artillery systems from Israeli defence contractor, Elbit Systems.

Furthermore, despite concerns about complicity in human rights abuses during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Elbit Systems is reportedly Morocco’s main weapons supplier.

Elbit Systems specialises in unmanned artillery vehicles (UAVs), electronic warfare systems and advanced artillery. Self-propelled artillery systems have been marked as “battle-tested” by the contractor, suggesting the weapons were used in attacks against Palestinians.

The contractor often collaborates with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI), the latter of which Morocco purchased a spy satellite from in a 2024 deal worth $1 billion.

All three Israeli defence contractors have faced allegations of complicity in war crimes committed against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.

Morocco has maintained ties to Israel since the 1980s, including a secret meeting in 1986 between King Hassan II, the father of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, and Israel’s then-Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, in Rabat.

Military ties between the Kingdom and Israel have continued to grow, despite widespread opposition from the Moroccan public, who have urged Rabat to sever ties with Tel Aviv.

Business Insider Africa and agencies, Maghrebi.org