Historic visit ahead: The leader of the Moroccan Senate, Enaam Mayara, officially announced this morning (Sunday) that he has accepted the invitation of Knesset Chairman Amir Ohana and will arrive at the Knesset for a royal visit next weekend. Mayara will be the first Moroccan personality and one of the few Muslim leaders to visit the Knesset, where he will be received with red carpet and full ceremonial honors according to all the protocols.
This visit is considered significant and unprecedented, as it is the first-ever bilateral visit of its kind taking place at the Knesset in Jerusalem between the Israeli Knesset Speaker and one of the symbols of Moroccan authority. Additionally, this marks the first official meeting in Israel with the participation of high-ranking leaders from both countries, following Israel's recognition of Western Sahara.
In the Knesset, it was noted that "this first and significant visit of the President of the Moroccan Senate, Mayara, serves as a reciprocal visit to the historic visit of Ohana to Morocco about three months ago. At that time, Ohana was the first Knesset Chairman ever to be invited for a royal visit to a Muslim country in general, and to the Moroccan Kingdom's parliament and Senate in particular."
Mayara is expected to be received in a special ceremony, which will include a ceremonial guard of honor by the Knesset guard, the raising of the Moroccan flag and the playing of the Moroccan national anthem by the Israel Police Orchestra for the first time ever in the Knesset. Later, the Moroccan official will sign the Knesset's official guest book in a special ceremony that will be held in the Shagal Lounge. Immediately after the official ceremonies, Ohana and the members of the Moroccan delegation are expected to hold a work meeting in the chairman's office, after which the two are expected to make a public statement to the media.
"This is a groundbreaking visit that reflects the new era in Israel-Morocco relations. In the past, it was merely a dream for a symbol of Moroccan leadership to make a royal visit to Israel," said Ohana. "Today, it is a hopeful reality that holds the potential to teach us about expanding the circles of peace in the Middle East. I congratulate my friend, Senate President Mayara, for being the first symbol of Moroccan leadership to make this historic visit to the Knesset. There is nothing more desired than the warm relationship between our peoples manifesting in a warm relationship between the parliamentarians who represent them."
The President of the Moroccan Senate also serves as the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), whose members represent parliamentarians from Mediterranean countries and are accompanying him on this regional visit. After the press conference with the President of the Moroccan Senate, Ohana is expected to meet with representatives of the participating countries in the Jerusalem Hall of the Knesset. This organization, which has a special status in the UN, was established in 2005 and deals with regional cooperation in areas such as security, economics, human rights, migration, and more.
