Israeli Knesset speaker to pay ‘historic’ visit to Morocco Wednesday

Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on Wednesday will pay a historic official visit to Morocco upon the invitation of his counterpart Rachid Talbi El-Alami.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana will leave Israel Wednesday "for a historic official visit to the Parliament of Morocco, at the invitation of Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami," said a statement issued on the Knesset official website.

"This is considered to be a significant and groundbreaking visit, due to the fact that it is the first official invitation for a bilateral visit ever extended to an Israeli Knesset Speaker by a parliament speaker of a Muslim country in general and a Moroccan parliament speaker in particular," the statement added.

Ohana is expected to meet with senior Moroccan officials and the leaders of the local Jewish community.

"The dream of peace with the lands of Islam has always been in our hearts," Ohana was quoted as saying.

He added: "History is being made before our eyes, and it heralds the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries, the greater closeness between the nations and expanding the circle of peace."

Israel and Morocco resumed their diplomatic relations in December 2020 after they were suspended in 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada.

Morocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.