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Morocco sees huge increase in citizens visiting Israel

August 16, 2023 at 9:50 am

A sign for Morocco’s national carrier Royal Air Maroc advertises on March 10, 2022 the price of a new destination flight as it prepares to start direct route between Casablanca and Tel Aviv [ABDELMAJID RIZKOU/AFP via Getty Images]

More than 2,000 Moroccans visited Israel during the first half of 2023, a massive 66 per cent increase on the same period last year, Sama news agency reported on Tuesday. According to a report published by the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace, 200 Moroccans visited Israel in June alone.

Israelis still need visas to enter Morocco, and Moroccans also need visas to enter Israel. However, several Israeli officials have recommended removing the visa requirement for Moroccans to improve relations between the two countries.

A new direct flight will begin operating between Tel Aviv and Essaouira in September. This is likely to increase the number of Moroccan visitors to the occupation state.

Direct flights between Morocco and Israel have been available from Casablanca ever since relations between the two countries were normalised in December 2020. This has helped to boost the number of travellers between the two countries.

Meanwhile, trade between Morocco and Israel hit $6 million in June alone. In the first half of the year, trade between the two countries increased significantly, reaching $38.5 million, a 96 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

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