ALBAWABA - Morocco's Royal Armed Forces commander toured Israeli military sites for the first time since both countries agreed to normalize relations in 2020.
Mohamed Benouali, a Moroccan artillery inspector Maj. Gen., toured Israeli military sites as part of a "framework to strengthen corporation and coordination between the two countries’ armed forces," an Israeli army spokesperson said.
In Pictures: Inspector of the Royal Moroccan Artillery Mohamed Benouali visits 'Israel' in the framework of strengthening cooperation and the relationship between Israel's and Morocco's artillery forces, last Thursday.#SahabatPalestina_ID pic.twitter.com/Ru7FsUmCvp
— Anatolian Tiger (@HarimauAnatolia) February 18, 2023
The spokesperson said the Moroccan wanted to "get closely acquainted with the military field challenges of the Israeli Artillery Corps", said the spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s senior spokesperson for Arabic-language media.
Both Adraee and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces posted the statement on social media, accompanied by the two countries’ flags, the hashtag #StrongerTogether, and several photographs documenting Benouali’s visit.
? A l’invitation de @Tsahal_IDF, le général de division Mohamed #Benouali, inspecteur des blindés au sein des #FAR, en visite de travail en #Israël, la première du genre ▪️Source : @FAR_MAROC pic.twitter.com/jmSpLmiX3v
— Global Impact Intelligence (@GlobalImpactIn2) February 16, 2023
The visit drew a barrage of public Arab criticism of Morocco. "Morocco dispatched its artillery to occupied Palestine not liberate it, but to be hosted by the enemy," one person tweeted,
المغرب يرسل مدفعيته العسكرية لفلسطين المحتلة! ليس من أجل تحريرها،بل لينزل ضيفا عند العدو!
— kada benamar قادة بن عمار (@benamar31) February 16, 2023
(وللوقوف على تحدياته الميدانية في مواجهة المقاومة)!
يعتقد المخزن ان إرسال"المدفعية"سيدفع (إسرائيل)للاعتراف بالجزء الخاص بها من الصفقة بين البلدين! أي التطبيع مقابل الصحراء!
لكن هيهات!
هزلت! pic.twitter.com/ixQD8nQgrP
Israel and Morocco tweeted pictures of the tour, which showed Israeli and Moroccan military officials posing together for a picture. The posts bore hashtags, such as #StrongerTogether.
Israel and Morocco signed the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, setting the stage for the North African country to establish diplomatic relations with Rabat. A handful of Arab nations followed suit.
