arrival in Marrakech of hundreds of Israeli tourists

Hundreds of Israeli tourists arrived in Marrakech on Sunday July 25 on the first direct commercial plane from Israel, seven months after the restoration of diplomatic relations between Morocco and the Hebrew state.

The kingdom was the fourth Arab country to announce in 2020 the normalization of its relations with Israel – after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan – in return for an American recognition of its “Sovereignty” on the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara.

“It’s a historic moment, this flight can only strengthen the bridge between Israel and Morocco”, said Benjamin Ron, a tourist guide who came to explore the country and do prospecting to attract other Israeli tourists to the kingdom.

The first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco touched down at around 1 p.m. local time in the country’s tourist capital on Sunday. As soon as the plane landed, youyous and screams of elation erupted on the airport tarmac. Israeli tourists were greeted with dates, cakes and mint tea in a welcoming ceremony held in their honor.

Two to three weekly flights

“I am from Marrakech. I’ve been there about 30 times but this time the trip has a special taste, it’s like it’s the first time! “, testified, very moved on his arrival, Pinhas Moyal, mask and bag in the colors of the Moroccan flag.

This first air link between Tel Aviv and Marrakech was operated aboard a plane from the Israeli carrier Israir. Company spokeswoman Tali Leibovitz said two to three commercial flights between the two cities were scheduled per week. “I am a child from Morocco (…). This is the umpteenth time that I have come back, today in exceptional circumstances ”, testified Yehuda Lancry, 73.

Morocco’s Jewish community is the largest in North Africa, and some 700,000 Israelis of Moroccan descent have often maintained strong ties with their country of origin.

Mr Lancry, a former Israeli ambassador to France now working in the council, believes that direct air links “Give visibility and readability to Israeli-Moroccan normalization, I am delighted!” “.

“Return to the land of my ancestors! “

“We are delighted to attend El Al’s maiden flight from Tel Aviv to Marrakech today”, tweeted the US State Department. This is’“Another important development stemming from the improvement of relations between our partners and friends in Israel and Morocco”.

Another flight, from the Israeli national company El-Al, in turn landed Sunday afternoon at Marrakech airport. The company said there would be five flights per week to the ocher city and Casablanca. “How good it feels to come back to the land of my ancestors!” We are finally breathing after two years of suffering from the Covid ”Sophie Levi, 58, from Casablanca told AFP.

Before the pandemic, the 50,000 to 70,000 tourists who came each year from Israel, many from Morocco, had to transit through other countries. By next year, Rabat expects 200,000 Israeli tourists per year, barring complications related to the pandemic, “A figure destined to increase”, says Zoubir Bouhoute, a Moroccan expert in the tourism sector.

The country, which still has the largest Jewish community in North Africa (around 3,000 people), recognizes in its constitution its “Hebrew tributary”. But the Palestinian cause still mobilizes civil society and some far-left political parties and Islamists remain opposed to the normalization of relations with Israel.

A first flight carrying Israeli officials was operated in December 2020 between Tel Aviv and Rabat. Bilateral agreements were signed in the wake. Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Yaïr Lapid announced that he would travel to Morocco after the opening of the direct airline, without however announcing a specific date.

Mr. Lapid’s announcement came shortly after the broadcast by an international media consortium of an investigation in which the Moroccan intelligence services are accused of having used Israeli software Pegasus to spy in particular on journalists, national figures or foreigners. Flap firmly denied.