Latest news with #Regev
Morocco World
02-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Hungarian Low-Cost Wizz Air Eyes Morocco Routes With New Israel Base
Doha – Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air plans to establish a base at Ben Gurion Airport and may add routes from Israel to Morocco, according to Israeli Channel 13. This development comes as most foreign airlines have halted operations to Tel Aviv following Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza carried out by Netanyahu's government. According to Channel 13, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev and Wizz Air's CEO have reached an agreement for the airline to open a base in Israel. This move represents a 'game-changing event' as Wizz Air operates a fleet of 230 aircraft, potentially leading to significant price reductions for flights. While Irish low-cost airline Ryanair announced last week the cancellation of all its flights until August, Wizz Air reportedly sees business potential in the absence of foreign carriers in Israel due to Houthi threats and larger regional instability due to the genocide. The airline plans to increase its passenger capacity from Israel by at least threefold. The expansion will include additional flights on existing European routes from Ben Gurion Airport and new destinations such as India, with Morocco also mentioned as a possibility. The agreement, expected to be signed in July, includes a condition from Minister Regev that Wizz Air operate domestic flights between Tel Aviv and Eilat. This also follows the suspension of flights between Morocco and Israel since October 2023, when Israel launched its brutal military assault on Gaza. Despite Regev's controversial visit to Morocco in February for a road safety conference, Israeli security officials dismissed reports about imminent resumption of direct flights. An Israeli security source told Mako news that flights could not resume while Morocco remains under a Level 3 travel warning. 'We will not take risks regarding the lives of Israelis,' the official claimed, citing what he called 'anti-Israel' demonstrations across Morocco. This stands in stark contrast to past reports showing an influx of Israeli tourists in recent years, with no reported incidents of anti-Jewish sentiment or attacks. Prior to October 2023, several carriers operated direct flights between the two countries, including Royal Air Maroc, El Al, Israir, and Arkia, connecting Tel Aviv with Marrakech and Casablanca. Morocco had been gaining popularity among Israeli tourists, with approximately 70,000 Israelis visiting in 2022 and numbers climbing toward 200,000 in 2023 before the Gaza genocide. Mounting challenges to Israeli aviation Israel's aviation sector currently faces serious challenges. Most foreign airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv after a Houthi missile struck inside the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport on May 4. According to Israeli Channel 12, fewer than 25 airlines are still operating in Israel, compared to around 50 before the attack. The situation has stranded thousands of Israelis abroad, forcing Minister Regev to hold emergency meetings with heads of Israeli carriers to discuss solutions. Daily passenger traffic at Ben Gurion Airport has dropped to around 40,000 people per day, down from approximately 70,000 at the end of April. Foreign airlines are now demanding changes to Israel's passenger compensation laws before resuming flights. A group of 20 foreign carriers has urged the Transportation Ministry to declare a special security situation and temporarily limit passenger compensation rights to make flight resumptions more feasible. The airlines argue that Israel's 2012 Aviation Services Law was never intended to cover prolonged periods of state-led aggression and siege like the ongoing assault on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023. The Hamas attack was a response to the Hebrew state's repeated violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque — and the broader context of occupation, displacement, and systemic injustice imposed on Palestinians since 1948 and even earlier. Read also: Israeli Government Approves Maritime Transport Deal with Morocco Tags: Morocco IsraelWizz Air
Morocco World
09-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Israeli Government Approves Maritime Transport Deal with Morocco
Doha – The Israeli government approved a bilateral maritime transport agreement with Morocco. The agreement is set to be implemented within 30 days, the Israeli Ministry of Transport and Road Safety announced in a statement on Thursday. Originally signed in Rabat on May 29, 2023, its key purpose is to regulate and promote maritime transport between the two countries based on principles of free and fair competition, freedom of navigation, and cooperation. Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev, who led the approval process, called the agreement 'a significant step in strengthening relations between Israel and Morocco.' According to Regev, 'Opening maritime trade and transport routes between the countries will contribute to the economies of both nations and create new opportunities for cooperation.' 'We are committed to continuing to develop ties between our countries while removing barriers and promoting cooperation in all areas, especially in transportation and ports,' she added. The comprehensive agreement regulates various aspects of maritime transport, including safety protocols, port access procedures, taxation policies, dispute resolution mechanisms, fees, and tariff structures. It enables mutual recognition of vessel documents from both countries and guarantees equal treatment for vessels and shipping companies from Israel and Morocco. Under the terms of the agreement, revenues generated by shipping companies from services provided in the territory of the other country can be used for making payments in that country or for transfer abroad, in accordance with foreign exchange laws and regulations in effect in each nation. The agreement also establishes provisions for mutual assistance to vessels in distress and permits the establishment of shipping enterprise representations in either country. An important component of the deal is the formation of a joint maritime committee that will supervise the implementation of the agreement and address issues related to maritime transport between the two nations. Moshe Ben Zaken, Director General of Israel's Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, stressed that the agreement 'will create business certainty and allow freer movement of goods between the countries.' 'We view this agreement as an important component in developing trade relations and hope to expand cooperation to additional transportation sectors in the future,' he continued Moroccan streets demand ties cut The approval comes during a period of stagnation in relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv, particularly following the events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli genocidal campaign in Gaza. This development also follows a controversial visit by Regev to Morocco in February for the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech. During that visit, delegations from Palestine, Turkey, Jordan, and Ireland walked out in protest during Regev's speech, though representatives from Gulf states, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, remained. Before her February visit, Moroccan activists attempted to block Regev's entry into the country by filing a legal complaint in Rabat, accusing her of 'committing war crimes and genocide.' The Moroccan court rejected the petition, allowing her visit to proceed. The road safety conference, which ran from February 18-20, brought together transport ministers and road safety experts from around the world under the theme 'Commit to Life.' The maritime transport agreement was one of three transport-related agreements signed during Regev's previous visit to Morocco on May 29, 2023. The other agreements included mutual recognition of driving licenses and facilitation of exchanges in road safety and transport innovation. Morocco re-established diplomatic relations with Israel in December 2020. Before the Gaza genocide, Moroccan and Israeli officials had signed dozens of agreements in education, trade, and defense. Bilateral trade between Tel Aviv and Rabat increased by one-third in 2022, with approximately 200,000 Israelis visiting Morocco that year. Nearly 700,000 Israelis are of Moroccan origin, with many maintaining close ties to the country. The Israeli Occupation Forces' (IOF) actions in Gaza have faced public opposition in Morocco, where pro-Palestinian protests have been held almost weekly. These demonstrations have consistently called for cutting diplomatic ties with Israel and ending 'normalization.' Despite scaling back official visits from Israeli officials, Morocco has not suspended diplomatic relations with the Hebrew state. Read also: Israeli Media: Flights Will Not Resume Despite Transport Minister's Morocco Visit
Ya Biladi
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Rabat court dismisses bid to block Israeli Minister's Morocco visit
Estimated read time: 1' The Administrative Court in Rabat rejected an urgent request filed by several lawyers to prevent Israeli Minister of Transportation Miri Regev from entering Morocco, the court ruled on Tuesday, February 18. Lawyer Khalid Soufiani told Yabiladi, «We trust the judiciary, but we disagree with its ruling», adding, «We took two legal actions : one was an urgent request to stop the Israeli Minister from entering Morocco, which the Administrative Court in Rabat rejected». He added that the legal complaint remains under review by the Court of Appeal in Rabat, where lawyers have called for Regev's arrest and trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The complaint urges the public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Rabat to order her arrest, detention, and prosecution for «incitement to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity», including premeditated murder, participation in genocide, and involvement in the killing and harming of children, the elderly, and the incapacitated. It also accuses her of contributing to the mass starvation and displacement of Palestinian civilians and engaging in acts of terrorism. Regev is in Morocco to attend the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, taking place in Marrakech from February 18 to 20, 2025.
Morocco World
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco Road Safety Conference: Several Delegations Shun Israeli Minister's Speech
Doha – Delegations from several countries walked out in protest during Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev's speech at the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech over Israel's actions in Gaza. According to Israeli media that shared footage from the conference, representatives from Palestine, Turkey, Jordan, and Ireland left the conference hall during Regev's address. However, delegates from Gulf states, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, remained in attendance throughout her speech. Israeli outlets characterized the incident as a 'dramatic demonstration' that occurred despite the conference proceeding as planned. Even before her Morocco visit, Regev faced criticism in Israel over the trip's expenses. Israeli newspaper Globes reported that Regev's ministry had requested funding for accommodation at the Four Seasons hotel, with suites costing €1,200-3,700 nightly. The total cost of the minister's trip with her aides was reported to exceed half a million shekels ($140,000). Regev's office responded, claiming that Morocco was covering the hospitality package, with different hotels chosen due to security concerns. The protest came after unsuccessful attempts by pro-Palestinian groups to prevent Regev's participation in the conference altogether. A group of Moroccan activists affiliated with the Action Group for Palestine filed a complaint with the court of appeal in Rabat, seeking to block her entry into Morocco. The activists stated in their press release that they were filing the legal complaint 'against the Zionist minister, terrorist Regev' based on 'accusations related to her criminal past and her responsibility in the current government for committing war crimes and genocide.' Read also: Ambassador Youssef Amrani Says War on Gaza Has Frozen Cooperation Between Arab Countries, Israel They emphasized that 'her presence on Moroccan soil constitutes a provocation to the feelings of the Moroccan people' and called on 'judicial authorities to take necessary legal action against her.' The activists also issued 'a call to media men and women' to cover the case. But these efforts ultimately failed to produce the desired outcome. The Moroccan court rejected the petition, allowing Regev's visit to proceed. Converging reports from Israel indicated that pro-Palestinian groups in Morocco have continued their attempts to seek the Israeli minister's arrest even after her arrival in the country. Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu notably walked out during Regev's speech, returning only after she concluded, according to Türkiye Today. Earlier in the conference, Uraloglu had delivered his own address focusing on Turkey's road safety achievements, including the construction of 25,000 kilometers of divided highways and an 80% reduction in traffic fatalities over the past 22 years. This marks Regev's second visit to Morocco during her current term as Transport Minister and her ninth international work trip in the past two years. The conference, running from February 18-20, brings together transport ministers and road safety experts from around the world under the theme 'Commit to Life.' The three-day summit, jointly organized by the Moroccan government and the World Health Organization, aims to accelerate progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals' target of halving global road deaths by 2030. As the first Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Africa, the event focuses particularly on addressing road safety challenges across the continent. Despite the diplomatic tensions surrounding Regev's participation, the conference has continued as scheduled. Participants have notably discussed road safety governance, emerging mobility trends, financing, and data collection strategies to address the global crisis of road traffic injuries, which claim approximately 1.2 million lives annually.
