Despite significant public opposition, Morocco is actively enhancing its relationships with Israel, a nation currently engaged in what many describe as genocidal actions in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank. This situation is increasingly drawing condemnation, even from traditional Western allies of Israel. While Israeli defense industries face closed doors at major defense exhibitions in cities like Paris and Rotterdam, Morocco has emerged as a new platform, allowing these companies to showcase their military technologies.
In a historic first, Israeli defense firms are officially participating in the Marrakech Airshow, taking place from October 7 to October 10. This delegation is organized by the Israeli Ministry of Defense's International Defense Cooperation Directorate, known as SIBAT, and comprises eight notable companies: Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, XTEND Systems, SHILAT Optronics, UVision Air, ASIO Technologies, and Orbit Communication Systems, as reported by various media outlets.
The showcased equipment spans diverse domains, including remote-controlled munitions, AI-based robotic systems, autonomous navigation for drones, laser guidance for FPV drones, and satellite communications. Among the products highlighted by Elbit Systems is the Hermes 900 drone, as well as autonomous platforms from the FUSE family, the SkyStriker loitering munition, the PULS rocket launcher system, and the laser-guided LIZARD projectile. Similarly, Israel Aerospace Industries is promoting precision strike technologies and defense systems, including the LORA missile, with the three major companies presenting a broad range of solutions for air, land, naval, and space operations, as well as intelligence and cybersecurity.
Military Technology Showcased Amid Ongoing Violence
This presence at the airshow occurs within a highly sensitive international context, particularly marked by the ongoing violence perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians. Israeli exhibitors are presenting military technologies that they themselves describe as "combat-proven" in Gaza, including drones, loitering munitions, guidance systems, and communication equipment. The commercial value of these technologies is underscored by their operational use in various conflict zones, including Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and especially the devastated enclave of Gaza.
During the event in Marrakech, Israeli officials have expressed enthusiasm about this opportunity, making no secret of their goals for participation. Retired Brigadier General Yaïr Kulas, head of SIBAT, referred to this presence as a "significant milestone" for the Israeli Defense Ministry and military industry. He characterized the airshow as a platform to "expand international defense cooperation and establish long-term partnerships." Thus, behind the technological showcase lies a commercial, and more critically, a strategic objective: to increase Israeli arms exports, seek new markets, and strengthen military ties with Rabat. For Morocco, which is engaged in an arms race, this participation aligns with the Abraham Accords and serves as an opportunity to further solidify its relationship with Israel.
Cooperation Contradicts Public Sentiment
However, at a time when Western governments are tightening their stances toward Israel and Israeli firms are facing restrictions at major European defense exhibitions, their participation in the Marrakech airshow appears to be a direct affront to Moroccan public opinion and the Palestinian cause. This event coincides with the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, which sparked the current war in Gaza and led to massive casualties and extensive destruction in the Palestinian territories. This timing adds a further political dimension to the participation, seemingly disregarded by Moroccan authorities, whose priorities lie more in strategic and industrial gains. The rapprochement with Israel enables Morocco to access advanced technologies and bolster its military capabilities in response to its neighbor, Algeria, potentially perpetuating instability in a region rife with tensions.
As reported by tsa-algerie.com.
