Israel, Morocco ink defense deal after normalizing ties

By ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Israel and Morocco have signed a landmark agreement that lays the foundation for security cooperation, intelligence sharing, and future arms sales. The memorandum of understanding is the centerpiece of a visit this week by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz to Morocco. Morocco and Israel established formal relations last year as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Gantz’s trip is the first official visit by an Israeli defense minister to one of the Arab states that established open relations under the accords. For Wednesday’s agreement, Gantz met with his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Loudiyi in Rabat.