CAIRO: Regional leaders welcomed Morocco’s decision to establish diplomatic ties and communications with Israel.
The move makes Morocco the fourth country in the Arab region to establish ties with Israel in recent months in a deal brokered by the US.
Oman welcomed Morocco’s announcement in a statement released by the foreign ministry.
“(Oman) welcomes what Morocco’s King Mohammed VI announced in his phone calls with U.S President Trump and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and hopes this will further endeavours to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the statement read.
The UAE, which announced in August it would normalize relations with Israel welcomed Morocco’s decision.
“This step, a sovereign move, contributes to strengthening our common quest for stability, prosperity, and just and lasting peace in the region,” Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed wrote on Twitter.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi hailed the agreement saying its an important step to achieve stability.
“I have followed with great attention the significant advance between Morocco and Israel in terms of the normalization of their relations under the auspices of the US,” El-Sisi said. “I believe this is an important step to achieve more stability and cooperation in our region.”
Egypt, along with Jordan, were the only Arab countries to have relations with Israel until the UAE announcement earlier this year. The Emirates was followed by Bahrain and Sudan, and now Morocco.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal between Israel and Morocco was a “historic peace between us.”
Netanyahu said it would lead to direct flights between Morocco and Israel and that the fourth US-brokered deal between Israel and an Arab country in recent months would be a “very warm peace.”
In a televised address, he said: “I've always believed that this historic peace would come. I've always worked for it.”
Thanking Trump, he added: “I want to thank, too, the king of Morocco, King Mohammed the Sixth, for taking this historic decision to bring a historic peace between us.”
