(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Morocco is reportedly set to sign an agreement with Israel to acquire spy satellites from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), one of the largest arms suppliers to the Israeli military, which has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians.
Local media in Morocco report that the agreement to procure surveillance satellites between the Rabat government and Israel is expected to be worth more than USD 1 billion (RM 4.5 billion).
News of Morocco’s acquisition of these satellites began circulating after IAI announced that it had signed an agreement to supply one of its “systems” to an undisclosed third party.
Reports indicate that IAI will supply the “Ofek 13” surveillance satellite to Morocco within five years.
The “Ofek 13” satellite from Israel will replace the satellites currently used by North African countries, which were manufactured by Thales and Airbus.
Last Tuesday, IAI announced to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that it had signed an agreement to supply military equipment worth over USD 1 billion (RM 4.5 billion) to a “third party” over five years.
Although the identity of the third party was not disclosed, it is understood to involve Morocco, which has a close defense and security relationship with Israel.
In 2021, Morocco and Israel signed a defense agreement covering intelligence, industry, and arms procurement.
Also last Tuesday, Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth reported that IAI board chairman and former Defense Minister Amir Peretz was in Morocco, believed to be signing the surveillance satellite sale agreement to the North African country.
IAI, known globally in the defense industry, is a major weapons contractor for the Israeli Armed Forces.
Many of its products are used by the Israeli military in its ongoing and past conflicts with Palestine, which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and other Arab and Muslim residents.
Morocco’s decision to buy defense systems from Israel is considered highly insensitive to the suffering of their fellow Muslims in Palestine, who continue to endure harsh treatment from the Israeli military and government.
The defense relationship between Israel and Morocco is well-known to be very close.
Last year, Defence Security Asia reported that Morocco and Cyprus were mentioned as potential operators of Israel’s main battle tank, the “Merkava.”
The report suggested that the delivery of Merkava tanks to Cyprus and Morocco was intended to replace 41 T-80U/UK tanks “donated” by Cyprus to Ukraine, as well as T-72B tanks similarly “donated” by Morocco to Ukraine.
Although Morocco denied involvement in providing its Russian-made tanks to Ukraine, there were claims that T-72 tanks owned by the North African country were supplied to Ukraine through a third party.
If the Merkava tank procurement negotiations succeed, either one or both countries will become the first outside Israel to use the pride of the Jewish state, the Merkava tank. – DSA