Arab envoys present credentials
Egyptian ambassador tells Minister Simhon ‘Cairo summit move in right direction’, Morocco: diplomatic relations with Israel in April
Sunday, Egypt’s ambassador Muhammed Assem Ibrahim met with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, to speak about Israel’s relations with the Arab world. Ibrahim said he was pleased to serve in Israel.
“I am no stranger to Israel,” said Ibrahim, who served in the Tel Aviv embassy under former ambassador Muhammed Bassiouni. “It is terrific to be back."
Ibrahim also said last week’s meeting in Cairo of Palestinian factions was “a move in the right direction.”
Morocco Ties in April
Also Monday, spokesmen in the Moroccan capital of Rabat said they expected diplomatic ties with Israel to be officially renewed in April, including a formal exchange of diplomatic representatives. Morocco recalled its Israeli representative in late 2000 at the start of the intifada.
Senior Moroccan officials told the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper that there have been high-level meetings with Israel for several weeks, but said the kingdom has yet to decide on how senior a representative to send.
Earlier this month King Muhammed VI met with Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres in Madrid at the anti-terror conference to commemorate the first anniversary of last year’s terror attack on four commuter trains in the Spanish capital.
In addition, Foreign Minister Shalom held talks in Geneva with his Moroccan counterpart, Muhammed Ben Issa. They said that despite the open talks between the sides, Moroccan media failed to report the meetings.
Relations never severed
Sources said that despite the formal restoration of ties, joint Israel- Morocco ventures have
continued in the absence of formal a formal Moroccan representative in Israel. Morocco opened a diplomatic interests office in Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 1994 as part of the Oslo process.
In 2003 Foreign Minister Shalom met with his Moroccan counterpart in the Moroccan embassy in London, a meeting that paved the way for Shalom to visit Morocco and open talks with King Muhammed VI.
Morocco has yet to invite new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, despite Palestinian requests for such a meeting.
