Israeli foreign minister lands in Morocco to strengthen ties

Israel's foreign minister has arrived in Morocco on a mission to strengthen ties with the North African country less than a year after they signed a deal to normalize relations

RABAT, Morocco -- Israel's foreign minister arrived in Morocco on Wednesday to kick off a bid to strengthen ties with the North African country nearly a year after the two nations signed an accord to normalize relations. The centerpiece of Yair Lapid's face-to-face diplomacy was to be the inauguration of Israel's mission in the capital, Rabat. His two-day visit is the first to the country by an Israeli minister since 2003, and the first such meeting in Morocco since the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords” with four Arab states: Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. Israel and Morocco share a long history of formal and informal ties. Many Israelis have lineage that traces back to Morocco, which is still home to a small community of several thousand Jews. Lapid, who is slated to become prime minister in 2024 under Israel's eight-party coalition government, is expected to meet with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, and sign several agreements to push forward consultation between the two nations.