'Israel', Morocco Sign Joint Military Work Plan, Deepening Ties

By Al Mayadeen English

6 Jan 2026 09:24

Five years after normalization, "Israel" and Morocco move deeper into military collusion, signing a joint work plan for 2026.

"Israel" and Morocco have signed a joint military work plan for 2026 during the third meeting of their Joint Military Committee, held this week in Tel Aviv, the Israeli occupation's military command announced.

The agreement comes five years after the two governments normalized relations under the US-sponsored normalization agreements in late 2020.

According to the occupation's military, the talks were led by the Israeli occupation forces' Planning Directorate and its Tevel Division, which is responsible for foreign military relations. The meeting included professional working sessions, as well as visits to Israeli military units, arms industries, and relevant directorates.

At the center of the discussions was a panel focusing on force build-up from what the occupation's military described as a “strategic perspective", alongside the identification of shared objectives for expanding cooperation between the two militaries.

The Israeli military said the meeting marked another milestone in deepening security cooperation with Rabat, referring to Morocco as a “key partner for regional stability.”

A wider pivot toward Israeli defense suppliers

The work plan builds on a deeper reorientation of Morocco’s procurement toward Israeli firms and entities. Israeli media reports note several major purchases and cooperative projects attributed to Israeli industry.

In the latest of the deals, BlueBird, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), inaugurated a factory in Benslimane, on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco, to produce the SpyX one-way attack drones.

Morocco also signed a contract with IAI, reportedly valued at around $1 billion, for the supply of two Ofek 13-class military reconnaissance satellites. The deal was concluded at the end of 2023, with the contract formalized in mid-2024. Deals also included the Barak-8 and Barak MX air defense systems, Rafael’s Spider, and Elbit/IAI guided rockets from the EXTRA family.

In parallel, Rabat has reportedly bought 36 ATMOS artillery systems and completed tests of 306 mm guided rockets with ranges up to 150 km and heavy warheads, moves that Western suppliers, including longstanding French defense partners, now see as diminished business opportunities.

Geopolitical, regional implication

The industrial link-up with Israeli arms companies will have strategic effects in North Africa.

For Rabat, access to Israeli unmanned and space technologies accelerates the modernization of its armed forces and creates domestic high-technology jobs and skills, further entrenching its pro-Western orientation.

On the other hand, for regional rivals, particularly Algeria and the Polisario Front, Morocco’s expanding strike and surveillance capabilities represent a concrete shift in the regional military balance, made even more consequential by the depth of Israeli backing behind these new systems.

The pivot is also a setback for traditional suppliers, particularly France, which for decades occupied a dominant position in Morocco’s defense procurement. Israeli firms’ deeper commercial and industrial ties with Rabat are eroding that angle of French influence while enlarging "Israel’s" footprint in the region.