Israeli Airlines Start Direct Flights to Morocco
Tel Aviv — Israeli airlines have started direct flights to Morocco, more than half a year after the normalization agreement between the two countries.
An Israir plane took off from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, heading to Marrakesh on Sunday.
An El Al flight was also scheduled for the same destination. Sumptuous Moroccan-style decorations awaited passengers at the airport in Israel.
At the end of last year, Israel and Morocco agreed to establish diplomatic relations. Previously, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan had declared their intention to normalize relations with Israel.
Before that, only two Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, maintained diplomatic relations with Israel.
The new agreements followed United States mediation under former US president Donald Trump.
Most Arab countries had refused to recognize Israel for decades due to its conflict with the Palestinians, who dispute possession of most of the territory controlled by Israel.
The first symbolic direct flight between Israel and Morocco in decades took place in December. Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner were on board the plane, which landed in Rabat.
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