Israeli arms firms participate in Morocco air show for first time
Eight Israeli arms manufacturers, including the three giants Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit Systems and Rafael, are participating in the 2026 Marrakech Air Show for the first time, a move that underscores the rapidly intensifying military cooperation between Morocco and Israel.
Held at the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) Military Base from 7 to 10 October, the show brings together nearly 200 exhibitors from 27 countries.
Among the Israeli exhibitors already supplying the North African kingdom, Elbit Systems is showcasing a selection of its most advanced and combat‑proven systems.
These include the Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft, a long‑endurance drone used for surveillance and strike missions; the SkyStriker loitering munition, capable of autonomous target acquisition and precision attacks; and the Puls rocket artillery system, which can fire guided rockets up to 300km.
The Israeli firms’ unprecedented presence aligns with Morocco’s broader strategy to upgrade its defence industrial base, a vision articulated by Defence Minister Abdellatif Loudyi at the opening of the show: moving “from a model of importing defence capabilities to building national capacity and defence sovereignty”.
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And Israeli arms manufacturers are now a key component of this strategy.
In recent years, parts of Israel’s defence industry have begun shifting production to Morocco, with agreements covering drone manufacturing, electronics and components for precision‑strike systems.
Israel now a key supplier
Morocco and Israel formalised ties in 2020 under a US‑brokered normalisation agreement, in exchange for Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty claim over Western Sahara, a territory occupied by the kingdom since the 1970s.
Although Morocco and Israel have cooperated discreetly in military and intelligence matters for more than six decades, their relationship deepened substantially after the signing of the so-called Abraham Accords.
Since then, Morocco has secured deals that include acquiring Israel’s Barak 8 missile defence system, Elbit Hermes drones, and an Israeli reconnaissance satellite system for use in its ongoing conflict with the Polisario Front, the Sahrawi independence movement that demands a UN‑recommended self‑determination referendum.
In March 2024, the French daily L’Humanite published an investigation revealing that Morocco killed dozens of civilians, including children, in Western Sahara using Israeli weapons.
While Israel has become one of Morocco’s top defence suppliers, behind the United States and France, cooperation has also accelerated in terms of trade and diplomacy: last month, Morocco and Israel announced that they would upgrade their diplomatic relations, transform their liaison offices into embassies, and proceed with the appointment of ambassadors.
But this rapprochement - increasingly visible - continues to generate public backlash.
Moroccan society regularly expresses solidarity with Palestinians and opposition to normalisation in mass rallies.
On Wednesday, marking the third anniversary of the war in Gaza and the first day of the air show, hundreds gathered outside parliament in Rabat to denounce the deepening ties with Israel, chanting “Long live Palestine and the resistance” and “Death to Israel and the Zionists”.
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