What an amazing Chanukah gift! The circle of peace has expanded.
The State of Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to fully normalize diplomatic relations, US President Donald Trump announced Thursday from the White House.
Alongside the agreement between Israel and Morocco, the United States has agreed to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Thursday night during the ceremony at the Western Wall to light the first Chanukah candle together with US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, “I’ve always believed that this historic day would come, I’ve always worked for it.
“I want to first thank President Trump for his extraordinary efforts to expand peace, to bring peace to Israel and the peoples of the Middle East.
“President Trump, the people of Israel and the State of Israel will be forever indebted to you for your magnificent efforts on our behalf. I want to thank, too, the King of Morocco, King Mohammed VI, for taking this historic decision to bring a historic peace between us.
“The people of Morocco and the Jewish people have had a warm relationship in the modern period. Everybody knows the tremendous friendship shown by the kings of Morocco and the people of Morocco to the Jewish community there. And hundreds of thousands of these Moroccan Jews came to Israel, and they form a human bridge between our two countries and our two peoples, of sympathy respect, of fondness and love.
“I think that this is the foundation on which we can now build this peace. We’ll resume liaison offices quickly between Israel and Morocco and work as rapidly as possible to establish full diplomatic relations.
“We’ll also institute direct flights between Morocco and Israel and Israel and Morocco, giving this bridge of peace an even more solid foundation.
“This will be a very warm peace. Peace has never – the light of peace on this Hanukkah day has never – shone brighter than today in the Middle East.”
And then there were 4!!!!
Thank you for enabling peace between Israel and Morocco, and for all you have done to advance peace in the Middle East.
?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??— Amb. Ron Dermer (@AmbDermer)
Shortly after the announcement by President Trump, Israel’s Israir airline announced within a few months the carrier will launch a new route between the two countries featuring 20 flights per week.
“If all parties are serious, it will be possible to open direct lines within three months,” Israir CEO Uri Sirkis told the Hebrew-language Ynet news site.
According to a statement issued by the country’s royal court, Morocco’s King Mohammed told President Trump in a phone conversation Thursday that his nation intends to facilitate direct flights for Israeli tourists to and from Morocco.
Israel’s national carrier, El Al Airlines, is also looking into the possibility of establishing direct flights between the two countries, according to a statement by the company that acknowledged such an option would be “very popular among Israeli clientele.”
The carrier said it will begin “operational preparations” for operating direct flights to Casablanca, “subject to obtaining all the necessary approvals from the various authorities.”