Agencies-Gaza post
Officially, First Israeli channel in Arab country
Following the restoration of ties in 2020, international news station i24NEWS reported on Tuesday that it had opened bureaus in Rabat and Casablanca, making it the first Israeli news outlet to do so in Morocco.
The station, which transmits in Arabic, English, and French from its headquarters in Jaffa, Israel’s port city, already has a Dubai bureau, which debuted the same year after Israel established relations with the UAE.
In a statement, i24NEWS CEO Frank Melloul said, “I believe that the introduction of our bureaus in Morocco… would position i24NEWS as a prominent player in the media and news industry in the Maghreb and African countries.”
In a deal mediated by the United States in 2020, Morocco and Israel normalized relations, with then-President Donald Trump’s administration recognizing Rabat’s sovereignty.
Morocco and Israel resumed diplomatic relations in 2020 after a settlement negotiated by the United States recognized Rabat’s sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
