By Thabet Al-Amour
What You Need to Know
Morocco’s recent establishment of a factory to produce Israeli drones marks a significant shift in military cooperation with Israel. This development raises questions about the implications for Morocco’s political doctrine and its relationships within the Arab world, as it aligns more closely with the Israeli-American axis.
Africa. What does it mean for Morocco to produce Israeli drones? How far has military cooperation between Rabat and Tel Aviv gone? And what are the implications and consequences of this development?
It is difficult to find justification for certain official Arab political positions, especially those related to normalization and the evolving relationship with “Israel” at this particular time. The confusion deepens when it comes to advanced military cooperation. This was revealed by the Hebrew daily Haaretz and other Arab and international media, reporting that Morocco has begun operating a new factory near Casablanca to produce Israeli suicide drones. The question remains: what does Morocco’s production of Israeli drones signify? How far has military cooperation between Rabat and Tel Aviv reached? And what are the consequences?
The newspaper reported that production at the new plant is a partnership between Israel’s BlueBird company—jointly owned with Israel Aerospace Industries—and Moroccan entities, but relies on Israeli technology.
Haaretz noted that BlueBird Aero Systems is not the only channel through which Israel Aerospace Industries sells to Morocco. Morocco first purchased Heron (Shoval) drones in 2014. In 2021, reports indicated that Israel Aerospace Industries sold Harop suicide drones to Morocco.
Since Rabat and Tel Aviv signed their normalization agreement in 2020, advanced military cooperation has escalated, reaching the level of technological exchange in smart military industries. Morocco has become an important client of Israel’s defense industry. For example, in July 2024 Morocco signed a satellite deal worth nearly $1 billion over five years.
In February 2022, Israel Aerospace Industries signed a deal to sell Morocco the Barak-MX air defense system for over half a billion dollars. That same year, Morocco reportedly purchased 150 BlueBird drones. In June 2025, during Israel’s war on Gaza, the Israeli newspaper Globes reported that Morocco was negotiating with Israel’s Elbit Systems for a deal to supply cannons for new armored combat vehicles purchased from India’s Tata Group. Elbit was considered the leading candidate to provide 105mm and 120mm gun turrets.
Producing Israeli suicide drones in Morocco is not only a qualitative and technical shift in Moroccan-Israeli military relations, but also a transformation in Morocco’s military doctrine. It reflects a strategic political and security shift with intertwined domestic, regional, and international dimensions, reshaping power balances, alliances, and conflicts in North Africa.
This means normalization has moved from a mere political relationship to a strategic partnership that establishes unprecedented security cooperation between Morocco and Israel. The implications include:
– A shift in Morocco’s political doctrine. Since independence, Morocco maintained balanced international relations, but now it clearly aligns with the Israeli-American axis. This will affect Morocco’s Arab, Islamic, and African relations, with costs that rapprochement with Israel cannot offset. It is not just an arms deal but a qualitative transformation in Morocco’s security doctrine and geopolitical positioning.
– Expansion of Israeli influence in Africa through Morocco, serving Tel Aviv’s projects in the Mediterranean and the Sahel. This may provoke a strong Algerian response and potentially open the door to direct or indirect regional confrontation, especially with the stalemate in the Western Sahara issue. Suicide drones alter the nature of military deterrence in the region and raise security concerns among neighbors.
– Heightened tension with Algeria, which views Israeli drone production in Morocco as a direct threat. Algeria may respond diplomatically or militarily, or strengthen defense partnerships with Russia or China, reshaping the regional balance of power.
– Morocco gains short-term military superiority and diplomatic leverage, but risks being drawn into alliances that restrict its independence and place it in confrontation with regional powers. Through Morocco, Israel can penetrate militarily and intelligence-wise into North Africa, near Algeria, the Sahel, and the Strait of Gibraltar.
– Security cooperation may serve Israeli goals beyond Morocco’s interests, such as intelligence or logistical operations, exposing Morocco to indirect pressure or targeting. The new air power could be used in the Western Sahara issue or to project influence in Sub-Saharan Africa, worrying countries like Nigeria, Mauritania, or Mali.
– Domestic destabilization. Despite official silence, Moroccan society remains highly sensitive toward Israel, especially amid massacres in Gaza. Producing Israeli lethal weapons with Moroccan hands—particularly drones used in assassinations and attacks in Gaza and Lebanon—may erode Morocco’s symbolic legitimacy in supporting the Palestinian cause, fueling public anger against military normalization.
– Deepening the gap between Morocco’s historical stance on Palestine and its current military alliance with Israel. While Rabat declares support for a two-state solution and chairs the Jerusalem Committee, it simultaneously pursues unprecedented military cooperation with a party accused of occupation, genocide, and war crimes.
– This step undermines any potential rapprochement with Algeria, leading to more tension and escalation, complicating the Western Sahara issue, widening regional rifts, and eliminating hopes for Maghreb unity or a shared security vision. It may even threaten Morocco’s national security if Israeli interests diverge from Moroccan ones.
In conclusion, producing Israeli suicide drones in Morocco will have domestic repercussions, pushing Morocco toward risky and potentially costly political, security, and military bets. It risks entangling Morocco in Israeli agendas, gradually reducing its military and security independence, and exposing it to Israeli influence.
The normalization agreement between Morocco and Israel in 2020 marked a turning point in their diplomatic relations, leading to increased military cooperation. This partnership has evolved significantly, with Morocco becoming a key client of Israel’s defense industry, purchasing various military technologies and systems over the years. The recent establishment of a drone production facility signifies a deeper strategic alignment between the two nations, reflecting broader geopolitical shifts in North Africa.
