Morocco is the fourth Arab country to formalize ties with Israel in four months

Una delegación de Marruecos visitará Israel para profundizar acercamiento 

photo_camera REUTERS/RONRN ZVULUN - Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, the US treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, and the US envoy to the Middle East, Avi Berkowitz.

A Moroccan delegation will visit Israel next week to deepen the normalization of relations and the development of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today.  

Both parties will discuss the opening of liaison offices, the possible establishment of embassies and the start of direct flights, which have been in a rapid rapprochement since the outgoing US president, Donald Trump, announced his resumption of ties just over a fortnight ago.   

The Moroccan representation will land in Israel this very Sunday, reported the digital Walla.  

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Netanyahu said today, in a reference to the mythical film "Casablanca".  

He also mentioned the "warm and friendly" conversation he had on Friday with King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the first between the two of which is publicly known after their ties were formalised.  

The Moroccan visit will come a few days after an Israeli delegation led by the national security adviser, Meir Ben Shabat, and accompanied by a US team headed by Trump Jared Kusher's adviser, visited Rabat this week and met Mohammed VI.  

At this meeting the three countries made a joint declaration that led to the re-establishment of relations between Israel and Morocco after 20 years of official disruption.  

They also signed agreements on visa exemption for diplomats, civil aviation, cooperation in water management and investment promotion and customs assistance.   

Morocco is the fourth Arab country to formalise ties with Israel in four months, after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan-with which a final agreement has yet to be signed.  

The Trump Administration is the main promoter of these agreements and is seeking more Arab and Muslim countries to follow in its footsteps in the coming weeks. Israeli sources have assured that there will be more such announcements before the Democrat Joe Biden takes over the US presidency on 20 January. 

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