Israel opens its first national pavilion at Morocco’s Marrakech Airshow

Eight defense firms showcase combat-tested technology as Jerusalem, Rabat move to deepen diplomatic and economic ties, in contrast with Israel’s exclusion from European exhibitions

By Stav Levaton

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Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel

Israel’s national pavilion at Marrakech Airshow, the first since normalizing ties with Morocco in 2020, October 8, 2026. (Defense Ministry)

Israel opened its first national pavilion at the Marrakech Airshow, marking its first official participation in the defense exhibition since normalizing ties with Morocco, the Defense Ministry announced Thursday.

The opening of the pavilion in Morocco came after Israel had been excluded from multiple defense exhibitions in Europe.

The ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate, known as SIBAT, led a delegation of eight Israeli defense companies presenting combat-tested technologies, including loitering munitions, AI-based robotic systems, autonomous navigation capabilities for unmanned aircraft, laser-guidance systems for FPV drones and satellite communications.

Major firms, including Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, also displayed air, land, naval, space, intelligence and cyber capabilities.

SIBAT head Brig. Gen. (ret.) Yair Kulas called Israel’s participation an “important milestone for the Defense Ministry and Israel’s defense industry,” as well as a “platform for expanding international defense cooperation and building long-term partnerships.”

Morocco normalized relations with Israel in December 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

Last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in New York, a day after the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords, to deepen bilateral ties.

Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Ouahbi sign a bilateral agreement on legal cooperation in Rabat on July 26, 2022. (Courtesy)

At the meeting, hosted by US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, the ministers agreed to appoint ambassadors, upgrade their diplomatic missions to full embassies, increase direct flights and hold high-level visits in the coming months.

They also agreed to finalize investment and tax agreements by year’s end, according to the Foreign Ministry.

“The friendship between the Moroccan and Jewish peoples has deep roots and a rich history,” Sa’ar said at the time. “The declaration we signed today outlines practical ways to upgrade ties between Israel and Morocco for the benefit of both peoples, and we will work to implement it.”

Contrast to exclusion from European defense shows

Israel’s presence in the Marrakech Airshow stood in sharp contrast to its exclusion from several other recent international defense exhibitions.

Worker erects wooden panels around Israeli defense industry booths at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris, June 15, 2026. (Defense Ministry)

In June, the Defense Ministry said French authorities barred Israel from establishing a national pavilion or sending government representatives to Eurosatory in Paris, one of the world’s leading defense exhibitions, while allowing Israeli firms to exhibit only air defense systems and banning the display of offensive weapons.

Wooden barriers were subsequently erected around Israeli defense industry booths by event organizers, despite the companies allegedly complying with the French restrictions.

French authorities also initially banned Israeli defense firms from exhibiting at the 2024 Eurosatory, before later reversing the decision.

Similarly, Israeli defense companies were not permitted to participate in the Netherlands’ NEDS exhibition, held annually in Rotterdam and focused largely on the naval sector.