Israeli, Moroccan Officials Discuss Tourism Ahead of Lapid's Visit

The CN-ROP Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737 (Reuters)
The CN-ROP Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737 (Reuters)
TT

Israeli, Moroccan Officials Discuss Tourism Ahead of Lapid's Visit

The CN-ROP Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737 (Reuters)
The CN-ROP Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737 (Reuters)

Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov spoke on the phone with his Moroccan counterpart Nadia Fettah Alaoui on Friday, ahead of an upcoming visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to Morocco this week.

"We discussed various opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, following the renewal of ties led by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid," Razvozov tweeted.

"We also agreed that we would continue to strengthen relations between the two countries."

Lapid plans to visit Morocco next month after a 20-year rupture in relations between the two countries, which would be the first visit to Rabat by an Israeli foreign minister.

In late June, Lapid had made a similar "historic" visit to the UAE to open the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Lapid's visit to Morocco would take place on August 11 and 12, during which the Israeli diplomatic mission in Rabat will be officially inaugurated.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita would also visit Israel at the invitation of Lapid to open his country's mission in Tel Aviv.

The Foreign Ministry Director-General, Alon Ushpiz, visited Morocco, delivering Bourita the written invitation from Lapid.

The Israeli Foreign Minister stressed in his letter that restoring relations between the two states was a historical milestone. He also expressed his desire to progress bilateral cooperation between Israel and Morocco in trade, technology, culture, and tourism.

The visit comes after steps to strengthen relations between Tel Aviv and Rabat, which included a direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco, which carried one hundred Israeli tourists.

The two countries will link direct flights to attract 50,000 Israeli tourists to Morocco by the end of the year.

Morocco is home to the largest Jewish community in North Africa, with a population of 3,000. About 700,000 Jews of Moroccan origin live in Israel.

Morocco aspires to attract 200,000 Israelis by 2022.

In July, a Moroccan air force plane landed in Israel's Hatzor Air Base, reportedly to take part in a multinational Israeli Air Force exercise later this month.

Israel and Rabat only exchanged diplomatic offices instead of embassies, and they maintained close official relations, but Morocco suspended relations after the second Palestinian intifada in 2000.

An Israeli diplomatic source said that relations with the North African country "will turn into full diplomatic relations."



Series of Israeli Airstrikes Hit Central Beirut, At Least 11 Dead

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
TT

Series of Israeli Airstrikes Hit Central Beirut, At Least 11 Dead

Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Rescue workers and people search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Powerful Israeli airstrikes targeted central Beirut on Saturday, resulting in a large number of fatalities and injuries and destroying an eight-story building, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Footage broadcast by TV stations showed at least one destroyed building and several others badly damaged around it in the Basta neighborhood.

At least 11 people were killed and dozens injured. Lebanon's civil defense said the death toll was provisional as emergency responders were still digging through the rubble looking for survivors. 

Israel used bunker buster bombs in the strike, leaving a deep crater, said NNA. Beirut smelled strongly of explosives hours after the attack.
The blasts shook the capital around 4 a.m.

NNA said at least five bombs were dropped in the attack.
It marked the fourth Israeli airstrike this week targeting a central area of Beirut, where the bulk of Israel's attacks have targeted the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs.

On Sunday an Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah's media relations chief Mohammad Afif in the Ras al-Nabaa district of central Beirut.

The Israeli military did not issue a warning for Basta's residents to evacuate prior to the strike and did not immediately issue a statement on it.

Israel has killed several Hezbollah leaders in airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.

Meanwhile, heavy ground fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants was ongoing in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops have pushed farther from the border.