Morocco, Israel discuss "visa waiver project" three years after normalisation

An Israeli politician has confirmed that a visa exemption agreement between Tel Aviv and Rabat is being discussed as the two states' ties grow stronger after the Israeli recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

"The visa waiver project between Morocco and Israel is on the right track," Meir Masri, a leading figure in the minority Israeli Labour Party, told Moroccan media Telquel last week, The New Arab reports.

Since 2021, Meir has started lobbying for visa exemption between the two states, arguing, "It is shameful and unacceptable that a European or a Russian can enter Israel without a visa and ask for an entry visa from our Moroccan brothers."

At the time, an official within the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied there was a discussion on visa exemption for Moroccans. But two years later, Maier says things have changed after the recent agreements between Tel Aviv and Rabat.

Over the past two years, Morocco and Israel signed dozens of cooperation agreements on military, trade, education and film production.

Israel has opened a liaison office in Rabat, and the construction work of Tel Aviv's embassy in the Moroccan capital is set to finish next year.

Three Israeli carriers and Morocco's state carrier have launched direct flights between the two states.

In July, Moroccan King Mohammed VI invited Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Rabat after the Israeli prime minister recognised Rabat's sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Netanyahu also expressed a favourable consideration for opening a consulate in Western Sahara's Dakhla City.

Some commentators healed this step as a shifting point in the Moroccan-Israeli ties, which Rabat has reportedly refused to deepen any further before an Israeli recognition of "its Sahara."

In the meantime, Meir's visa exemption project is still "in discussions" as it is not the responsibility of the Israeli Knesset to decide on this kind of regulation, which is up to the sovereignty of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The legislative only intervenes in an advisory capacity or to approve the agreement.

Though, Meir argues that his suggestion "was received positively by the Israeli political class."

In July 2022, Morocco launched an e-visa application for Israelis. Since then, Morocco has issued over 150,000 electronic visas out of 160,000 processed applications.

Even before publicly normalising ties with Tel Aviv, Rabat had always allowed Israeli passport holders to enter the kingdom, unlike other states in the Middle East and North African region, mainly because of the large number of Jewish of Moroccan origins living in Israel. They are estimated to count for a million.

Last month, Israeli media said Tel Aviv is also considering launching an e-visa application for Moroccan tourists by next year.

Despite the broad social and political opposition to ties with Israel, some Moroccans seek a visa exemption stating mainly better job opportunities and higher wages.

"I don't mind working in Israel if the salary is good. I am doing it for my family, and I am not hurting or killing anyone," a construction worker told The New Arab last August as he was queuing in front of an office in Casablanca claiming to issue work permits in Israel.

The office was shortly shut after a national backlash. Rabat and Tel Aviv denied ties with the office, which mystery has yet to be revealed. 

Late in 2020, Rabat normalised ties with Tel Aviv under the US auspices. 

Amid rising opposition to the state's decision, the palace released a communiqué in March stressing that "the foreign policy of the kingdom is a prerogative of His Majesty under the Constitution." 

Nevertheless, despite the normalisation, the North African kingdom continues to regularly reaffirm its commitment to the Palestinian cause as "one of the priorities of its foreign policy."