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After Israeli free-to-air television Channel 13 reported that Benjamin Netanyahu and Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita held a «secret» meeting in September, 2018, in New York, the Kingdom denied the reports.
In a press briefing held Thursday in Rabat, Government Spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi told reporters that «the Kingdom does not reply to rumors».
The Moroccan government’s answer comes after the Israeli channel revealed, quoting a source close to Benjamin Netanyahu, that he reportedly met with Bourita on the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73), opened on the 18th of September 2018.
The same source alleged that the two officials discussed ways of «normalizing ties and arranging a visit». Quoting an Israeli senior official, who arranged the alleged meeting between Bourita and Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister promised to offer, in exchange, «assistance for Morocco regarding Iran».
At the time, Israeli’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon said he was «unaware of such meeting».
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office told the Israeli newspaper that it does «not comment on contacts with countries with which Israel does not have formal relations».
Contacted by Yabiladi, a diplomatic source said on February the 18th that the «Moroccan Foreign Ministry is also unaware of this meeting».
Reports on Bourita and Netanyahu’s «secret meeting» come as the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) announced that Netanyahu’s office «hopes to arrange several meetings on the sidelines of the anti-Iran meeting in Warsaw, including interviews with Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita and the latter’s Bahraini counterpart, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa».
However, Nasser Bourita ended up not attending the meeting held last week in Warsaw (Poland).
Earlier in February, reports emerged suggesting that Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Morocco in March. The Government’s Spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi commented on these reports, stating that they are just «rumors».
