Presentation
THE COMMITMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY TO ACCOMPANY THE ABRAHAM AGREEMENTS
A new, unique endeavour opens in world geopolitics after the signing in Washington in September 2020, of the so-called Abraham Agreements. These agreements open an exciting and promising prospect for the Middle East, to which Morocco has joined in a determined bid to strengthen its relations with Israel.
Further to the initiatives that the respective governments will launch in the short term, which will range from the creation of chambers of commerce to cultural development programs and multilateral cooperation initiatives, civil society must commit, with all the means at its disposal and with an active and high-level executive presence, to promote and support this new endeavour which will be so beneficial for today's world.
For this purpose, we have gathered a group of people from the many different countries concerned, employing our extensive experience in the generation of multilateral networks to create the UNIVERSAL ASSEMBLY Yom Salam. This association is structured based on a powerful team management working alongside sectoral advisory committees will be responsible for identifying formulas to make the different projects and initiatives a reality, counting on the countries that make up the new endeavour that emerged in September 2020.
As a prime objective, the Universal Assembly will focus on cultural, social and economic development, with complete inter-regional cooperation. This is going to be accomplished by organizing activities focussed around our core goals, as well as a range of other activities of a specific scientific nature. These include better use of natural resources in countries with deficiencies in critical equipment, and enabling the latest technological advances in bio-agriculture, desalination, health and medicine by taking advantage of and sharing the experience in these strategic sectors of Israeli society.
We want to emphasize that all of the above must be governed by the motto and the clear intention of "a doctrine of peace", thus recovering, after a long period of painful conflicts, the long-awaited agreements between Israel and its neighbours, and developing a much-needed path to this, based on our ingrained and ancient common roots.
With regard to Spain, which has always been a valid interlocutor in multilateral settings, we hope that it continues to play its strategic role in cooperation from Europe with the countries of the Middle East and Morocco; and with this desire we have chosen Spain as the main, although not the only, venue of the Yom Salam UNIVERSAL ASSEMBLY.
A personal note
Dear Friends,
I had originally believed that the gift of the Abraham Agreements had opened a door of hope for a beginning of mutual understanding. The first step to peace with our brothers of Islam.
And I had believed it principally because Morocco was involved. How we celebrated! Our beloved Morocco, always so close to us. Agreements were signed and new airline routes were inaugurated; reciprocal visits of Ministers from Israel and Morocco were immediately formalized, and a stage never before known between these two countries had begun. But evil was always present and lurking and then the enemy countries conspired to promote a war. A terrible war whose consequences we still do not know today; they have temporarily achieved the burying our desires.
As the saying goes, ‘Losing hope is losing the meaning of life’, and our enemies know this. So let's not give them the opportunity to think that they have won and we have given up. We are going to fight until we revive this beautiful initiative, even more so in the name of our Patriarch, father of nations. And with his blessing and our efforts we will be able to get back on our path, since there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.
Isaac Siboni Gabay
President
Organization
President
General Secretary
Head of Legal Affairs
Head of Communications
Head of Educational Liason
Profiles in alphabetical order
News
Israel recognizes Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara
On June 17th 2023, King Mohammed VI received a letter from the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing Israel's decision to recognize Morocco's sovereignty in Western Sahara.
Likewise, the prime minister indicated that the position which Israel had taken in this act, would be reflected in all the relevant acts and instruments of his government. It was emphasised that the letter would be transmitted to the United Nations, the regional and international organizations of which Israel is a member, as well as to all the countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations.
Although collaboration in security, defence and intelligence matters has been constant in the recent years between the two countries, the opening of diplomatic relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv has not happened, as there are still no open Israeli embassy or consulates, in Morocco.
Just two days later, in the response that King Mohammed VI sent to the President of Israel, affirming this important decision being "at the same time, both fair and farsighted", Mohammed VI was encouraged to consider the opening of an Israeli Consulate in the city of Dakhla, indicating that this decision had been very well received by the Moroccan people.
The momentum that is being experienced with these events is unprecedented, both in terms of exchanges of visits by officials and businessmen, as well as in terms of developing the conventional framework, diversifying cooperation and strengthening commercial exchanges, particularly through the Jewish community of Moroccan origin. This is a clear opportunity to promote the prospects for peace for all the peoples of the region, creating a ´snowball´ effect to which other countries could join in following this example.
As we know, especially those of you who follow us on Yom Salam, relations between Morocco and Israel normalized in 2020 thanks to the signing of the Abraham Accords.
It is for this reason that we decided to create Yom Salam in order for civil society to participate, being proud to have seen these Accords realised and to be able to share the first fruits of the agreements signed during 2020.
Within the framework of the collaboration agreement signed between the ´Junta de Andalucía´ (Regional Government of Andalusia) and Yom Salam, it is intended to explore ways of collaboration for the development of previously mentioned future projects. This covers various sectors - creating relationships with suppliers in our environment, taking advantage of our geographical proximity and searching for financing, including the European Union – and, despite the presence of Israeli companies, to propose new opportunities and alternatives to these projects, taking into account the good political and economic relationship and friendship that Spain enjoys with these two countries.
News
Collaboration agreement between the Junta de Andalucía and Yom Salam
Collaboration agreement between Extenda - Andalusian public company for foreign promotion with the Yom Salam association, for cultural, economic and social promotion.
On November 19, 2021, the collaboration agreement was signed between the Junta de Andalucía and the Yom Salam Association.
The Junta de Andalucía, through Extenda, an Andalusian public company as an instrument of the Ministry of the Presidency, Public Administration and Interior of the Junta de Andalucía, signed on November 19 a collaboration agreement with the Yom Salam Association, created to the cultural, economic and social promotion of countries in North Africa, and the Middle East, deepening the knowledge and dissemination of the legacy of Muslim, Jewish culture, as well as contributing to the promotion of peace, tolerance and multicultural and religious coexistence in Spain, the Middle East, North Africa and the rest of the world.
Extenda has the objective of promoting the internationalization of Andalusian companies and attracting investment to Andalusia, developing different types of activities in the fields of information, training, advice and the promotion of companies in all productive sectors. and the service sector.
The agreement was signed by Carlos Arturo Bernal Beruga, CEO of Extenda and Isaac Siboni Gabay, President of the Yom Salam Association, which includes the collaboration agreement between the two institutions in order to optimize their respective resources, programs and activities, and to define a framework for international cooperation.
News
Spain will host the YOM SALAM Foundation, promoted after the Abraham Agreements
The Israeli Minister of Economy, Amir Peretz, met in Tel Aviv with the Spanish businessman, Isaac Siboni, who informed the member of the Israeli Government of the creation of a Foundation for the cultural, economic and social promotion, which will bear the name of YOM SALAM (Days of Peace).
The Israeli minister shares with businessman Isaac Siboni his status as a Moroccan of origin, committed from his various responsibilities to interregional cooperation based on culture, society and the economy.
Spain will be the main headquarters of the Foundation, a private initiative for the cultural, economic and social promotion of the new scenario that opens after the configuration of an interregional space that ranges from Morocco to the Gulf countries, thanks to the commitment of Israel within the Abrahamic Accords.
The YOM SALAM Foundation will have another headquarters in Morocco, given the links between the Foundation's promoters and the country.
Isaac Siboni has a long history in the world of intercultural and interreligious foundations, currently being President of the Institute of Sephardic and Andalusian Studies of the University of Alcalá de Henares and member of the International Council of the Peres Center for Peace; after having participated in the launch of the Foundation of the Three Cultures. In addition, he has been awarded twice by His Majesty the King of Morocco.
The YOM SALAM Foundation will include the main leaders of the countries that have signed the Abraham Agreements, and others who have already announced their adherence to an ambitious agreement that spans from Morocco to several Gulf countries, signed on September 15, 2020 with the endorsement of the United States. According to businessman Isaac Siboni, “this is the first action in the private sphere in Spain, a consequence of the new time that opens after the signing of the Abraham Agreements, so Spain will once again play a strategic role in cooperation from Europe with Middle Eastern countries, to which Morocco has joined, which is committed to strengthening its relations with Israel ”.
Links:
https://unitedwithisrael.org/es/yom-salam-la-fundacion-para-el-fomento-cultural-economico-y-social/
https://www.diarioabierto.es/541676/espana-sera-sede-de-la-fundacion-yom-salam