Jerusalem and Rabat are working to renew direct flights between their respective countries in the wake of last month’s ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli Transport Ministry said on Sunday.
The move highlights the resurgence of the Israeli aviation sector and the re-emergence of Tel Aviv as an international travel hub.
Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev has spoken with her Moroccan counterpart, Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh, and the two agreed to work toward the resumption of the flights, an Israeli Transport Ministry spokeswoman told JNS.
The flights on Israel’s national carrier El Al are expected to be restarted in the coming months.
Israel and Morocco, which for decades had maintained covert cooperation in the defense and intelligence sphere, formalized relations as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw four Arab countries make peace with Israel under the first Trump administration.
Flights between the two countries were suspended two years ago after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
After Oct. 7, the Israeli National Security Council advised against nonessential travel to Morocco, a travel warning that is now expected to be lowered, enabling the resumption of flights.
“Before the outbreak of the war, Morocco was a very popular destination for Israelis, and the flights were full,” Yoni Waxman, deputy chairman of Israel’s Ophir Tours, told JNS on Sunday. “Israeli passengers are thirsty to return and explore Morocco, and it is just a question of time until it happens.”
An estimated million Jews of Moroccan descent live in Israel (including Israel’s transport minister); 200,000 Israelis flocked to Morocco in 2022, many on “roots trips.”
“Israelis really love Morocco,” said Shirley Cohen Orkaby, vice president for marketing at Israel’s Eshet Tours, who recently visited the North African country and was warmly received. “I expect very high demand the moment flights open up.”
https://www.jns.org/
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