According to the agreement now taking shape, Israel and Morocco will first establish liaison offices (which will pave the way for the opening of embassies later on) and Rabat will allow direct flights between the nations.
It is still unclear when a signing ceremony will take place, but Israel's Channel 13 has reported that it will take place before 20 January, when President Donald Trump, who was one of the architects of this agreement, is slated to leave office.
United Behind the King?
Simon Skira, the founder of the Morocco-Israel Friendship Association, welcomed the agreement saying it was a "historic day for the two nations" and expressed confidence that Moroccans would support the pact too, given that the decision came from the country's King Mohammed VI.
But recent polls suggest otherwise. According to one of those surveys, only 16 percent of Moroccans viewed Israel favourably, whereas 70 percent of those quizzed had a negative impression about the country.
Those "unfavourable views" came to the fore in September, when hundreds of Moroccans took to the streets to vent their anger at the normalisation agreements between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain. They slammed the "treacherous countries" and vowed to "never forget Al Aqsa [Islam's third holiest site - ed.] and Jerusalem".
Wide Range of Interests
Skira, however, says such protests, even if they happen again, will not present an obstacle simply because they will not push aside the wide range of interests a joint Israel-Morocco deal entails.
"It is a win-win situation for both countries", said the activist.
For Morocco, the benefits of the deal are clear. The US has already recognised Rabat's claims over the disputed Western Sahara territory, a point of friction between the North African country and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which has been seeking to establish an independent state there. And the chances are high that other nations, including Israel, will follow in Washington's footsteps.
At the time, Rabat was certain the Islamic Republic had aided the rebel group by providing it with military equipment and training, allegations that were never confirmed by Iran.
To fight that insurgency Morocco will not only need international support (that the US will now provide) but it will also need equipment.
On Thursday, it was reported that Washington had reached a deal with Rabat, agreeing to sell four advanced aerial drones to the North African nation, and it's likely that Israel will also become a regular arms supplier to Morocco.
Israel, in fact, has already sold military equipment to Morocco. In 2014, it was reported that the Jewish state had provided Rabat with several drones and in February of this year, reports suggested that the North African country received three more reconnaissance drones from the Israelis.
"The commercial channel between Israel and Morocco has been operational for many years", said Skira, "and now that bond will only grow stronger", he added.
Win-Win Situation
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows that King Mohammed VI is the president of the Al Quds Committee, [an influential body in the Muslim and Arab world] and as such he can influence other nations [that currently don't have relations with Israel] to follow suit".
Known for his good relations with the Palestinians, Skira believes that the Moroccan monarch can also play a pivotal role in mediating between the Israelis and Palestinians, who have already slammed Rabat's decision to normalise ties with the Jewish state.
"In 2000 [with the eruption of the second intifada - ed.], Morocco severed its ties with Israel [established following the 1993 Oslo Accords - ed.]. Now, it seems, Rabat wants to put the past behind them and open its doors to the Israelis again".
