The exercise brings together participants from 18 nations and includes some 8,000 military personnel.

By The IDF Club

A delegation of 12 soldiers from the IDF’s elite “Sayeret Golani” reconnaissance unit on Sunday departed for Morocco to participate in the US African Command (AFRICOM) annual “African Lion” military exercise, the IDF announced.

The exercise brings together participants from 18 nations and includes some 8,000 military personnel, including soldiers from the US, Morocco, and Ghana. This is the first time the IDF is participating in “African Lion.”

According to the IDF, “Over the course of the next two weeks, the soldiers of Sayeret Golani will focus on practicing various combat challenges combining urban infantry warfare and underground warfare in which they specialize, and will conclude the training in a joint exercise for all the armies.”

The IDF added that the goal of the exercise is to strengthen the connection between the countries and for the participating armies to learn from each other.

“Our collective ability to bring like-minded nations together for an exercise like this is truly impressive,” said Maj. Gen. Joel Tyler, United States Africa Command Chief of Staff.

“African Lion is the centerpiece of the AFRICOM exercise strategy, and one of the greatest US exercises across the globe.”

At the same time, Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana is scheduled to depart on Wednesday for an official visit to the Parliament of Morocco.

The official invitation from Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco Rachid Talbi El Alami is the first ever extended to an Israeli Knesset speaker by a parliament speaker of a Muslim country.

“The dream of peace with the lands of Islam has always been in our hearts, and it is only fitting that of all these many countries, it is the Kingdom of Morocco that is the first to invite one of the symbols of government and head of the State of Israel’s legislative branch – who also happens to be the first Knesset Speaker of Moroccan origin – for an official visit to its House of Representatives,” Ohana said ahead of the visit.

“History is being made before our eyes, and it heralds the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries, greater closeness between the nations and expanding the circle of peace,” he added.