The Abraham Accords have led to another historic agreement, this time between Israel and Morocco. The latest peace agreement has tremendous implications for El Al and Royal Air Maroc.
El AL + Royal Air Maroc Plan Nonstop Service Between Nations
Morocco has announced it will recognize Israel and establish diplomatic relations. As part of the U.S.-brokered agreement, the two nations will commence nonstop flights in 2021. The agreement is predicated on United States recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region.
Already, El Al has announced plans to start daily flights between Tel Aviv and Casablanca:
The company welcomes the historic announcement and will begin preparing for direct flights to Casablanca subject to obtaining all the required approvals from the various authorities. The company has been checking out the economic feasibility and operational implementation of operating direct flights to Morocco, which is expected to be very popular with Israeli customers.
According to Globes, El AL will utilize a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the five-hour journey. Israir Airlines has also indicated it intends to establish up to 20 weekly flights.
Meanwhile, Royal Air Maroc also plans to launch flights between Morocco and Israel, though it is has not made clear yet either aircraft or frequency of service.
The diplomatic breakthrough may be attributed to the USA, but officials from Royal Air Maroc and El Al met in Morocco in 2019 in an attempt to forge greater ties and start air service between nations. It failed then, but will now come to fruition.
More broadly, Israel and Morocco have communicated via backchannels for decades. Prior to 1948, Jews were thought to number over 250,000 in Morocco, the largest diaspora in the Arab world. Today, only about 3,000 are estimated to remain.
As many as 150,000 Israelis are expected to travel to Morocco in 2021. Already, tens of thousands do each year, but must fly indirectly and arrange special visas. Similarly, an influx of Moroccan tourists are expected in Israel with eased visa regulations.
CONCLUSION
The latest peace deal between Morocco and Israel will lead to direct air service between nations on El Al, Israir, and Royal Air Maroc. Flights are expected to being as early as spring 2021.
Why the propaganda of calling these deals “peace deals”? Let’s stop trying to give credit to the Trump-Kushner mafia for “peace-making”. These are not peace deals, these are deals that increase the scope and scale of open diplomatic relations and the possible expansion of commercial relationships that come with that.
Expanded commercial relationships don’t preclude countries from getting into wars. Nor does having more formal and public diplomatic relationships preclude countries from getting into wars.
I’m not trying to improperly classify these deals or be a cheerleader for the outgoing administration, but I do think that recognition is a basis of peace and diplomatic and economic relations may not prevent war, but certainly make it less likely. In that sense, I do see the Abraham Accords as peace deals.
And I’ll add as someone very sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians, I think this will ultimately help their efforts, not undermine them.
Why such negativity? The hate for Trump is so great that we can’t give him credit for anything. Politicians have been working on peace in the middle east for decades. Here comes Trump and actually makes it happen in a real way, not like the cold peace with Egypt and Jordan.
How is this a peace deal? We bribed Sudan with removing their name from the state sponsor of terrorism. We bribed Morocco with accepting their claim over western Sahara. We bribed UAE with the promise of giving them F35’s.
Comically, we call this Abraham accord. Did anyone talk to Abraham? Does anyone know how Abraham feels about what the state of Israel has been doing to the Palestinians for the past 70 plus years? Conflict is between party A and B. We go around and force party C, D, E sign deals with party A and completely ignore the party B.
Because “Morocco has announced it will recognize Israel and establish diplomatic relations” which Morocco didn’t do/have with Israel until now
So glad Biden was finally able to make this happen after every other President failed.
I think trump needs to be given credit for the middle east breakthrough. The Palestinian leaders mostly Hamas were holding the entire middle east hostage playing the victiim card. Trump in his infinite boorishness and simian manners and maybe even personal greed called their bluff and we have a breakthrough. I think most other arab countries were looking for a way to move on while saving face. I hope Biden does not go back to established american policy, pre trump.
Palestinians are stupid. Look at singapore. You don’t need a lot of land to be really rich. You need good policies and forward looking population, which fact and science based that uses religion for spiritual needs and not tribalism. First thing, stop popping out so many kids.
It’s time we had an american president who didn’t feel the need to say that she goes to church regularly or ever. Even trump had to lie.