Herzog congratulates Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Morocco's new prime minister

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has congratulated Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri on being named Prime Minister of Morocco, according to a statement issued by the President's Spokesperson and published on the Israeli government's website on 30 September 2026. Speaking on behalf of the State of Israel, Herzog offered his "warmest congratulations" and wished the new prime minister success in the post.

The statement describes the appointment, made by King Mohammed VI, as "groundbreaking". Herzog also used the message to commend the Moroccan monarch, saying the king had shown leadership in pursuing peace and in reinforcing what the statement calls the historic ties between the Israeli and Moroccan peoples. The release closes with a call for continued joint work to widen "the circle of peace and tolerance" in the region.

Who sent the message, and in what capacity

Isaac Herzog is Israel's president, the head of state. In Israel's parliamentary system the presidency is a largely ceremonial office: day-to-day government, including foreign policy, is run by the prime minister and cabinet. Messages of congratulation to foreign leaders on their election or appointment are a routine part of the president's role, and they are typically issued through the President's Spokesperson, as this one was. The statement was filed on the government portal under the topics of foreign policy and bilateral relations.

Such messages tend to be brief and formal. Their content, including which relationships and which figures a president chooses to single out, is often read as a signal of how Israel wishes to present a relationship publicly.

How the appointment works in Morocco

Morocco is a constitutional monarchy in North Africa in which the king appoints the head of government. The statement reflects that arrangement: it credits the appointment to King Mohammed VI and directs much of its praise to him rather than to the new prime minister alone. Herzog refers to the monarch as His Majesty, the formal style used for the Moroccan king.

Why Israel addresses the king directly

Israel and Morocco re-established formal relations within the framework of normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab states, commonly known as the Abraham Accords. Morocco is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Arab world, and a large share of Israeli Jews trace their family roots to the country. That background is what lies behind references, such as the one in Herzog's message, to historic ties between the two peoples rather than simply between two governments.

The phrase about expanding a circle of peace is language Israeli officials have used repeatedly in connection with normalisation with Arab states, generally to express the hope that further countries will join. Herzog's statement does not name any other country or specific initiative.

What the statement does not say

This account rests on a single source: an official Israeli release. Several points are not covered in it.

• Why the appointment is called groundbreaking. The statement uses the word but does not explain what makes the appointment a first or a departure from precedent.
• The date and circumstances of the appointment. The release gives its own publication date but not the date on which the king named the new prime minister, nor what prompted the change of head of government.
• Who held the post before. The previous prime minister is not mentioned.
• El Mansouri's background and party. The statement gives no details of her political career, affiliation or stated priorities.
• Any Moroccan response. There is no indication in the material of whether Rabat or the new prime minister has replied, or whether other Israeli officials, such as the prime minister or foreign minister, have issued their own messages.

No independent reporting on the appointment was included in the material available to us, so details of the Moroccan side of the story are not covered here.