Israel Broadcasting Authority: The Israeli army is participating in the African Lion military exercise in Morocco
An Israeli military delegation has arrived in Morocco to participate in a military exercise alongside several other countries, including Arab countries.
An Israeli military delegation will participate in the “African Lion” exercise, noting that it’s the largest military exercise on the African continent.
According to the Israeli media, “Exceptionally, photos of the arrival of military delegations were published in Morocco, in which the Israeli flag was clearly visible”.
On Monday, the Moroccan army announced the launch of the 21st round of the “African Lion” maneuvers, which will continue until May 23, with the participation of more than 30 countries, including the United States.
This is the third consecutive year that Israel has participated in the “African Lion” exercise.
Even last year, at the height of the fighting in Gaza, an Israeli delegation left to participate in the maneuvers in Morocco, but the Israeli army prevented the news from being published at the time, claiming it could harm security relations between the two countries.
On Tuesday, Moroccan state television showed Israel’s participation in the 21st edition of the “African Lion” maneuvers.
The African Lion exercise is one of the largest military maneuvers on the African continent, according to a statement from the Moroccan Army General Command.
He explained that the opening ceremony for the exercise was held at the Southern Region Command Headquarters in Agadir, central Morocco, in the presence of representatives of the participating countries.
According to the statement, the course’s activities include “training in several operational areas, a planning exercise for participating personnel, a nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical decontamination exercise, and other joint maneuvers”.
The statement indicated that this session will also witness parallel activities of a humanitarian and social nature.
The statement explained that the maneuvers, which will be carried out in several regions in Morocco, aiming to strengthen military cooperation between Morocco and the United States, develop interoperability, and strengthen intervention capabilities in a multinational context, with the aim of enhancing security, peace, and stability in the region.
This year’s edition will see the participation of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and their American counterparts, along with more than 30 participating or observer countries from Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, according to the same source.
In 2007, the first edition of the “African Lion” maneuvers was launched between Morocco and the United States.
The maneuvers are held annually with the participation of European and African countries, and sometimes more than one edition is held in a single year.
It’s worth mentioning that, on December 10, 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations after they were suspended in 2000 following Rabat’s freezing of ties following the outbreak of the Second Palestinian Intifada.
