Israeli envoy in Morocco to cement ties, talk Mideast peace

By TARIK EL BARAKAH
Associated Press

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister has opened a two-day visit to Morocco to seal ties with the North African country less than a year after agreeing to normalize relations. The two nations quickly took concrete steps Wednesday, signing off on three accords, with more expected. However, peace prospects in the Middle East nudged their way into the talks, with Yair Lapid’s Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita stressing a need for the “rapid return of direct and serious negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians. Lapid’s visit is the first to the country by an Israeli minister since 2003, and the first such meeting in Morocco since the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords” with four Arab states.