Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) has invited his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, to Israel. The invitation was extended by the Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Alon Ushpis, on Wednesday during his visit to Morocco. Should Bourita accept the invitation, he would be the first Moroccan foreign minister to visit Israel. The aim of Ushpis's trip to Morocco is to expand the political and strategic dialogue with the North African country.
In the letter, Lapid noted that relations between the two countries had reached a historic milestone. He expressed his hope for further strengthening of the relationship on economic, technological, cultural, and tourism levels. Lapid was pleased about the first direct flights between Israel and Morocco, scheduled to begin in July, which he said would further strengthen bilateral relations.
Last December, Israel and Morocco decided to normalize their relations. The countries signed a corresponding agreement on December 22. As recently as the 1940s, around 250,000 Jews lived in Morocco. With the founding of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, the number declined drastically. However, to this day, the Maghreb state is home to the largest Jewish community in North Africa, numbering 3,000.
