Jewish-Moroccan entrepreneur Yariv Elbaz, who has business ties both in Israel and the US, was one of the key mediators of the Israel-Morocco peace agreement, The New York Times reported.

Discussions on a peace deal have been ongoing since 2017 but the Moroccan king was extremely hesitant due to his fear of risking his position in the Arab world.

Elbaz’s close ties with the Moroccan royal family paved the way for the historic deal, the report said, with Elbaz acting as a go-between for Washington and Rabat.

At one point during the mediation, Elbaz informed Rabat that the Trump administration was willing to invest up to $3 billion in the kingdom, with most of the funds slated for banking, hotels, and a renewable energy company owned by the king.

There are currently less than 3,000 Jews that call Morocco home, the majority of whom live in Casablanca.

There are over a million Jews of Moroccan origin living in Israel, many of whom maintain strong ties to the kingdom and visit frequently via third countries.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)