Israeli Chief of Staff Meets with Jewish Community in Marrakech

Kohavi meets with members of the Jewish community in Marrakech (Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee’s Facebook page)
Kohavi meets with members of the Jewish community in Marrakech (Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee’s Facebook page)
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Israeli Chief of Staff Meets with Jewish Community in Marrakech

Kohavi meets with members of the Jewish community in Marrakech (Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee’s Facebook page)
Kohavi meets with members of the Jewish community in Marrakech (Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee’s Facebook page)

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi concluded on Thursday a three-day official visit to Morocco, during which he held talks with senior commanders of the Royal Armed Forces and security and intelligence officers.

He met Wednesday with the local Jewish community, headed by Jackie Kadosh, in the Old City of Marrakech.

Kohavi paid tribute to the community members and thanked them for their contribution to the Jewish people in both Israel and the Jewish diaspora.

“I feel a sense of pride and admiration to meet you, the Jewish community of Morocco, some of who fought for the State of Israel, and are today working here for the Jewish community and to deepen the connection with Israel.”

He visited the local Jewish cemetery and attended a prayer service at the Slat al-Azama Great Synagogue.

He also met with members of the community who fought in the Yom Kippur war and later returned to Morocco.

Prior to his visit to Marrakech, Kohavi held talks with Commander the Moroccan Air Force Base Ben Greyer Colonel Major Hassan Mahwar.

Both sides discussed means of bolstering cooperation ties between both countries’ air forces.



Iraqi PM Rejects Foreign Calls to Dismantle PMF

Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his accompanying delegation in Baghdad on Saturday. (Iraqi prime minister’s office)
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his accompanying delegation in Baghdad on Saturday. (Iraqi prime minister’s office)
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Iraqi PM Rejects Foreign Calls to Dismantle PMF

Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his accompanying delegation in Baghdad on Saturday. (Iraqi prime minister’s office)
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his accompanying delegation in Baghdad on Saturday. (Iraqi prime minister’s office)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stressed his rejection of “foreign dictates or pressure” calling for the dismantling of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Speaking to state television, he said the PMF was turned into a state institution according to a 2014 law that was ratified by parliament.

“It is unacceptable to make demands and impose conditions on Iraq, especially when it comes to dismantling the PMF,” he declared.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stirred controversy during a meeting with Sudani earlier this month when he called for dismantling the PMF and other armed factions.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi security and defense committee urged the recruitment of more soldiers to the army as Baghdad warily eyes the developments in Syria in wake of the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Iraq is bracing for a possible fallout from the ouster on its own country, especially with the possibility of the reemergence of the ISIS terrorist group.

The Defense Ministry is in need of 25,000 to 30,000 recruits, said the security and defense committee, noting that no new members have been recruited since 2017.

Sudani said his government was assessing the situation in neighboring Syria and will take the necessary measures as developments unfold there.

He stressed the need to help the Syrian people run their country’s affairs without any foreign meddling or infringement on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.