The diplomatic upgrade comes alongside renewed US and Israeli support for Morocco’s claim to the disputed territory.
Israel and Morocco agreed on Wednesday to upgrade their liaison offices to full embassies and appoint ambassadors, taking a step delayed for years by disagreements over Western Sahara and political tensions surrounding the Gaza war.
The agreement links closer diplomatic relations with renewed American and Israeli backing for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara. For Rabat, that support provides a clear political benefit from strengthening ties with Israel, although the announcement does not establish that it was a formal condition of the upgrade.
Reuters reported that the embassy agreement was announced by the Israeli government following talks involving Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz in New York.
Alongside the upgrade, Washington and Israel reaffirmed their recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and backed Rabat’s autonomy proposal as the sole basis for a lasting settlement. The proposal would give the territory a measure of self-government while keeping it under Moroccan sovereignty.
Western Sahara has been central to the relationship since Morocco and Israel restored diplomatic ties in 2020. US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty claim formed part of that original agreement.
The issue subsequently complicated efforts to open embassies. In January 2023, Axios reported that Moroccan officials repeatedly demanded formal Israeli recognition whenever Israel raised the possibility of upgrading the liaison offices.
Israel recognised Morocco’s claim in July 2023, but embassies did not follow. The Gaza war subsequently increased domestic pressure on Rabat, with protests against normalisation making a public diplomatic upgrade politically sensitive.
Nevertheless, the relationship continued. Defence and intelligence cooperation survived the tensions, while Morocco maintained diplomatic channels with Israel. In March 2024, Rabat used those channels to deliver 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza by land.
The latest agreement therefore gives a more formal diplomatic structure to an existing partnership. Renewed support over Western Sahara also gives Moroccan officials a tangible outcome to emphasise when explaining the decision at home.
That support does not settle the territorial dispute. Western Sahara’s final status remains unresolved at the United Nations, while the Polisario Front seeks independence and Algeria supports its cause.
The two governments also pledged to finalise investment-protection and double-taxation agreements, restore direct flights by Israeli and Moroccan airlines by the end of 2026, and arrange reciprocal high-level visits.
No date was announced for appointing ambassadors, leaving the implementation timetable as the next test of the agreement.