The ambassadors of Israel and Morocco light Hanukkah candles together

We turned on the light and drove out the darkness. One year after the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as part of the Abrahamic Accords, the ambassadors of Israel and Morocco in Rome celebrated their anniversary together, lit a candle on the Jewish anniversary of Hanukkah.

“Morocco works tirelessly for peace and stability in the Middle East,” said Moroccan Ambassador Youssef Balla., which confirms how the Abrahamic agreements “established the special relationship between the two countries.”

This association, recalls Israeli Ambassador Dror Idar, owes a lot to the Jewish community of Moroccan origin. Bala said that with the tripartite agreement between Israel, Morocco and the United States, there was “momentum” in bilateral relations. The two diplomatic offices were opened, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Rabat. There is now a cooperation agreement, 20 economic and trade agreements and defense memoranda of understanding. And in the first six months after the agreement, Bala noted, “trade increased by 50%.”

“With the Abrahamic agreements, his two sons, Isaac and Ismail, returned to cooperate,” said Ambassador Idar.By comparing the light of the Hanukkah festival with that lit between Morocco and Israel, which leads to a “fruitful cooperation”. “Italy can help us expand the agreements to include other countries, and the peoples of the region are increasingly aware that the Jewish people are part of the Middle East, continued the ambassador, hoping that “the Palestinians will also enter the circle of peace.”After the normalization of Israel’s relations with Morocco, the Emirates and Bahrain.

Hanukkah candles are lit at the Romanian headquarters of the Alcide De Gasperi Foundation, in the presence of the American Chargé d’Affairs Thomas D. Smithham and Chairman of the Chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Piero Fassino.

“We must urge the Arab states and the Palestinian National Authority to seize the opportunities of the Abrahamic agreements,” Fasino said.. He continued, “Peace must be achieved by the parties concerned, but others can create an appropriate context for the resumption of dialogue,” stressing the role that Europe can play. “But to play a positive role, both sides must acknowledge that,” Israeli citizens today view Europe with “suspicion,” while Palestinians view “Europe as a neighbour.” He stressed that it was “good” for the Palestinians to view neighbors as neighbours, “but it must be the case for the Israelis, and only in this way can a role be played.”