US-Backed Israel-Morocco Deal Deepens Abraham Accords Amid Regional Threats

NEW YORK — Israel and Morocco on Wednesday agreed to elevate their diplomatic missions to full embassies and exchange ambassadors, nearly six years after Morocco joined the U.S.-brokered normalization initiative that transformed Israel’s ties with several Arab nations.

The announcement followed a trilateral meeting in New York involving U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. It came a day after officials commemorated the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords.

Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the original Abraham Accords on Sept. 15, 2020. Morocco later joined the normalization effort through a separate U.S.-Morocco-Israel Joint Declaration signed in Rabat on Dec. 22, 2020. That agreement restored formal contacts and set out plans for full diplomatic relations, direct air links and deeper economic cooperation.

Wednesday’s Israel-Morocco agreement moves several of those earlier commitments forward. The two countries said they will open full embassies, exchange ambassadors, restore direct flights operated by Israeli and Moroccan carriers before the end of 2026, and complete agreements covering investment protection and the avoidance of double taxation.

According to a Sept. 16 joint statement, Israel and Morocco also committed to broader cooperation in trade, finance, technology, tourism, water, agriculture, food security, energy, telecommunications and regional security.

The statement further reaffirmed U.S. and Israeli recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, as well as support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the basis for resolving the long-running territorial dispute.

The conversation, however, quickly extended beyond Morocco to the possibility that Saudi Arabia could eventually join the Abraham Accords normalization framework.

Asked by News Media whether Saudi Arabia might become the next country to enter the Abraham Accords, amid reports of increased Israeli-Saudi security coordination against the Iran-backed Houthis, Waltz instead stressed the regional danger posed by Houthi attacks on international shipping.

“The scourge of terrorism from them is unacceptable to the entire region,” Waltz said. “They continue to act as a proxy of the Iranian regime.

“You cannot attempt to punish the rest of the world to achieve a political end,” he added. “The oceans, trade and international waterways must remain open.”

The comments come as the Houthis have made major gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Reuters reported Sept. 16 that the offensive has exposed new vulnerabilities for Saudi Arabia and strengthened Iran’s regional leverage.

The 18-mile-wide Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and carries roughly 7% of global oil output. Houthi attacks beginning in 2023 forced major shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa, increasing costs and transit times.

Sa’ar said the threats at Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated why countries with shared interests should cooperate.

“What’s happening in Bab al-Mandab, like what’s happened in Strait of Hormuz, demonstrates the significance of all nations that want to respect freedom of navigation, world trade and cooperate against this kind of modern piracy,” Sa’ar said.

He declined to elaborate on any operational cooperation involving Saudi Arabia but made clear Israel wants the normalization framework expanded.

“It is clear that we would like this camp to be widened,” Sa’ar told News Media.

Bourita, meanwhile, said Morocco’s experience demonstrates that relations with Israel can also give Arab governments practical tools to help Palestinians.

“We can help the Palestinians, humanitarianly, because we have these relations with Israel,” Bourita said.

During the Gaza war, Morocco used its ties with Israel to secure a land route for 40 tons of humanitarian assistance into northern Gaza in March 2024. 

“Is it better to continue in the rhetorics, political positions, while sitting in our cities, our capitals or take initiatives?” Bourita asked.

“We don’t agree with Israel 100%. Each one may have its policy,” he said, arguing that Morocco uses the “Abraham Accords spirit” to “promote peace” and “promote stability in the region.”

Bourita also pointed to Morocco’s participation in Gaza stabilization efforts.

“I think it needs courage to contribute to peace,” he said. “And it’s easier to keep on making statements and engaging in rhetorics.”

Waltz echoed that argument, praising Morocco’s humanitarian work and its role in postwar Gaza efforts.

“It is far more than just signing agreements or coming to ceremonies,” Waltz said. “The Moroccan government, the Moroccan people are leaning in, in very meaningful ways for a more peaceful future.”