Morocco and Israel have moved their defense partnership into a new phase this week, with a senior Israeli delegation received in Rabat under direct instructions from King Mohammed VI. The visit was led by Amir Baraam, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, who traveled to Morocco on behalf of Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
On Monday, Baraam was first welcomed by Abdellatif Loudiyi, the minister delegate in charge of Morocco’s national defense administration, at his ministry’s headquarters in Rabat. He was later received at the General Staff Headquarters of the Royal Armed Forces by Lieutenant General Mohamed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and commander of the Southern Zone. Both meetings focused on expanding military capabilities, exchanging expertise, training personnel, deepening technical coordination, and advancing joint efforts in equipment acquisition, defense-industrial development, and cybersecurity.
The most notable outcome of the visit is Israel’s decision to open its first permanent defense attaché office in Rabat. Colonel Sharon Itah has been named to head the new office, which is expected to serve as an institutional anchor for the growing military relationship between the two countries. Israel’s Ministry of Defense described the partnership as one built on trust and mutual respect, adding that Israel intends to keep deepening ties with Morocco over the long term.
The visit builds on a relationship that has steadily expanded since Rabat and Tel Aviv restored diplomatic relations in December 2020. A memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation followed in November 2021, opening the door to joint military training exercises, arms-procurement deals, and industrial partnerships that have drawn Israeli defense firms directly into Moroccan military-industry projects, including through offset arrangements.
A joint military committee, tasked with overseeing shared action plans, now functions as the main coordination channel linking the two countries’ armed forces. For Rabat, the expanding ties with Israel fit into a broader strategy of diversifying its strategic partnerships and modernizing its defense capabilities, at a time when competition for influence across North Africa and the Sahel region continues to intensify.
