The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army lands in Morocco for a three-day visit

July 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, General Aviv Kohavi, landed in Morocco on Monday on a visit that will last three days in which he will meet with senior military officials from the North African country.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released a publication on their social networks in which they have branded this event as “a historic moment” for both countries as it is the “first visit” of an Israeli Army chief to the North African country.

As detailed by the Israeli Army, the main objective of Kohavi’s trip to the Moroccan capital, Rabat, is “to learn and share knowledge and expand cooperation” between Israel and Morocco.

The visit comes after Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed a memorandum of understanding with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelatif Ludiyi, on military cooperation.

It must be remembered that on December 10, 2020, the United States announced the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel.

Jerusalem and Rabat have since signed a series of memorandums of understanding on topics including civil aviation, oil drilling, water resources research and finance. The two countries also reopened their respective liaison offices, which had been closed after Morocco severed ties with Israel at the start of the Second Intifada in 2000.

The recognition of the United States took place a month after the historical Saharawi opposition to Morocco, represented in the Polisario Front, declared the ceasefire with Rabat broken in response to a Moroccan military action against Saharawi activists in Guerguerat, in the area of agreed relaxation, which meant for the Saharawis a violation of the conditions of the ceasefire.