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NEW YORK — Israel and Morocco agreed Wednesday to upgrade their diplomatic missions to full embassies and exchange ambassadors, nearly six years after Morocco joined the U.S.-brokered normalization drive that reshaped Israel’s relations with parts of the Arab world.
The agreement came during a trilateral meeting in New York between U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, one day after officials marked the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords.
The original accords were signed by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Sept. 15, 2020. Morocco followed through with a separate U.S.-Morocco-Israel Joint Declaration signed in Rabat on Dec. 22, 2020, restoring official contacts and committing the countries to move toward full diplomatic relations, direct flights and expanded economic cooperation.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and their delegations meet at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York on Sept. 16, 2026, for a trilateral summit focused on expanding Israel-Morocco relations. (Yuval Golan/ Israeli Foreign Ministry)
Wednesday’s agreement advances several of those commitments. Israel and Morocco agreed to establish full embassies and exchange ambassadors, reinstate direct flights by both Israeli and Moroccan airlines before the end of 2026 and finalize agreements on investment protection and avoidance of double taxation.
The countries also pledged to expand cooperation in trade, finance, technology, tourism, water, agriculture, food security, energy, telecommunications and regional security, according to a Sept. 16 joint statement.
The statement also reaffirmed U.S. and Israeli recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the basis for resolving the territorial dispute.
But the discussion quickly widened beyond Morocco to whether the normalization framework could eventually include Saudi Arabia.
Asked by Fox News Digital whether Saudi Arabia could be the next country to join the Abraham Accords — amid reports of growing Israeli-Saudi security cooperation against the Iran-backed Houthis — Waltz focused on the regional threat posed by the Houthis and their attacks on international shipping.
“The scourge of terrorism from them is unacceptable to the entire region,” Waltz said. “They continue to act as a proxy of the Iranian regime.”
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A satellite imagery shows Bab el Mandeb Strait, a key shipping waterway and the gateway to the Red Sea, as Iran threatens using Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, in this handout picture dated July 12, 2026. (Nasa Worldview/Handout via Reuters)
“You cannot attempt to punish the rest of the world to achieve a political end,” he added. “The oceans, trade, and international waterways must remain open.”
The comments come as the Houthis have made major gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Reuters reported Sept. 16 that the offensive has exposed new vulnerabilities for Saudi Arabia and strengthened Iran’s regional leverage.
The 18-mile-wide Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and carries roughly 7% of global oil output. Houthi attacks beginning in 2023 forced major shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa, increasing costs and transit times.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meet at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York on Sept. 16, 2026, for a trilateral summit focused on expanding Israel-Morocco relations. (Efrat Lachter/ Fox News Digital)
Sa’ar said the threats at Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated why countries with shared interests should cooperate.
“What’s happening in Bab al-Mandab, like what’s happened in Strait of Hormuz, demonstrates the significance of all nations that want to respect freedom of navigation, world trade, and cooperate against this kind of modern piracy,” Sa’ar said.
He declined to elaborate on any operational cooperation involving Saudi Arabia but made clear Israel wants the normalization framework expanded.
“It is clear that we would like this camp to be widened,” Sa’ar told Fox News Digital.
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Yemen’s Iran-backed armed Houthi group has warned they will move to shutter the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait through missile-drone attacks if Gulf nations join the US-Israel war on Iran. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
Bourita, meanwhile, said that Morocco’s experience demonstrates that relations with Israel can also give Arab governments practical tools to help Palestinians.
“We can help the Palestinians, humanitarianly, because we have these relations with Israel,” Bourita said.
During the Gaza war, Morocco used its ties with Israel to secure a land route for 40 tons of humanitarian assistance into northern Gaza in March 2024. “Is it better to continue in the rhetorics, political positions, while sitting in our cities, our capitals, or take initiatives?” Bourita asked.
“We don’t agree with Israel 100%. Each one may have its policy,” he said, arguing that Morocco uses the “Abraham Accords spirit” to “promote peace” and “promote stability in the region.”
Bourita also pointed to Morocco’s participation in Gaza stabilization efforts.
“I think it needs courage to contribute to peace,” he said, “and it’s easier to keep on making statements and engaging in rhetorics.”
Waltz echoed that argument, praising Morocco’s humanitarian work and its role in postwar Gaza efforts.
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 15. 2020: (L-R) Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan wave from the Truman Balcony of the White House after the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on September 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. Witnessed by President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu signed a peace deal with the UAE and a declaration of intent to make peace with Bahrain. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“It is far more than just signing agreements or coming to ceremonies,” Waltz said. “The Moroccan government, the Moroccan people are leaning in, in very meaningful ways for a more peaceful future.”
