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Although there are no diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel, they have had close secret cooperation for nearly six decades on military and intelligence matters, according to the New York Times.
Israel helped Morocco obtain weapons and intelligence-gathering equipment and learn how to use them. It also helped assassinate an opposition leader, while Morocco helped Israel host Moroccan Jews, launched an operation against Osama bin Laden and even spied on other Arab countries.
According to the newspaper, the cooperation, which was revealed in a group of interviews and documents uncovered over many years, reflects a long-standing Israeli policy to build secret relations with the Arab regimes, as Israel followed the so-called strategy of the parties to reach out. to countries far from the Israeli regional conflict. Arab or having hostile relations with the enemies of Israel.
During the last hours, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Thursday a new peace agreement between Morocco and Israel, and the recognition of the United States of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara region.
The US President wrote on Twitter: “Another historic breakthrough today, our two great friends: Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco, agreed to establish full diplomatic relations, a colossal advance for peace in the Middle East!”
Equipped with weapons
The Moroccan-Israeli relationship arose in part from the large number of Jews in Morocco before the birth of Israel in 1948, many of whom emigrated there, and made up one of the largest parts of Israel’s population, around a million Israelis from Morocco or descendants of those who were guaranteed a deep and unwavering interest in it. Country.
The newspaper noted that when Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, immigration of Jews was prohibited, so the Israeli spy agency, Mossad, smuggled many Jews in, but the operation was revealed in 1961, when it collapsed. a Mossad ship carrying these immigrants. Most of those on board died.
After King Hassan II assumed power in the same year, he was strongly assisted by Israel and revealed to him the conspiracy of the Moroccan opposition, Mahdi Ben Barka, who asked him to help overthrow the king, then lured him to Paris and dishonored and disposed of with the knowledge of Israeli agents.
Israel also supplied Morocco with weapons and surveillance technology, trained Moroccans to use them, and helped organize the Moroccan intelligence service.
Espionage
In 1965, Arab and military leaders met in Casablanca, Morocco, and allowed the Mossad to eavesdrop on conference rooms and private wings, and the eavesdropping gave Israel unprecedented insight into Arab thinking, capabilities, and plans. , which turned out to be vital to Mossad and the Israeli army in preparation for the 1967 war.
General Shlomo Gazit, who later became the head of Military Intelligence, said in a 2016 interview: “These recordings, which were truly an extraordinary intelligence achievement, demonstrated our feeling, with the Israeli Supreme Army, that we would win the war against Egypt “.
Morocco was also the site of secret meetings between the Egyptian-Israeli government after the October War, which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Camp David in 1978.
In recent years, King Mohammed VI sought Israel’s help in persuading Washington to agree to the annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco, which ultimately paid off in Thursday’s announcement.
He announced his signature in recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, which has seen recent tensions.
Trump added in another tweet: “Today I signed a declaration recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Morocco’s serious and realistic proposal for autonomy is the only basis for a just and lasting solution to achieve lasting peace and prosperity.”
Morocco has become the fourth Arab country to announce the normalization of relations with Israel since last September, after the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.
