Israeli, Morocco officials hold talks in Rabat

RABAT, Morocco (AA) - Israeli and Moroccan diplomats held talks in Rabat on Wednesday, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced.

"The Director General of political affairs @Marocdiplo_EN (Moroccan Foreign Ministry) Ambassador Fouad Yazourh, held talks today with the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alon Ushpiz," the ministry said on Twitter, without providing further details.

Ushpiz landed in the Moroccan capital on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen relations between the two countries, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

"MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Director-General ‪Alon Ushpiz is en route to Morocco directed by FM (Foreign Minister) ‪Yair Lapid, to hold a political dialogue, meet with his counterpart and Moroccan Foreign Ministry officials to discuss ways to further promote the bilateral relations between the countries," the ministry had said on Twitter.

The visit came after a telephone call between Lapid and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, the ministry said on a seperate Arabic-language account.

Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations on Dec. 10 after they were halted in 2002 following the second intifada uprising in Palestine.

Morocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel in 2020 after the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.

The normalization deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who say they ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara