Basketball hoop, illustrative. Photo: Pixabay.

i24 News – Israeli basketball player Mohamed Abu Arisha signed a contract to play for a Moroccan team, it was announced Thursday.

Arisha, 24, signed a one-year contract with Morocco’s Association Michlifen Ifrane Basketball, known as AMI Basket.

Arisha played for Israeli Premier League team Hapoel Beersheba and played for the Israeli national team in the past.

“Indeed, the Arab-Israeli player Mohamed Abu Arisha signed with the club, and he started playing with us,” an executive with AMI Basket told the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

“The contract lasts for one year, after which we will decide on the player’s future with the club.”

It is the first time an Israeli player was contracted by a team in the Arab world, according to Israel Hayom, although Israel’s Sport 5 said there were other Arab-Israelis who have played for Jordanian teams.

Arisha shared an image on Instagram of himself in the new AMI Basket uniform, writing, “They don’t like it but they gonna have to respect it.” It was his first Instagram post in over a year.

He has been training and playing in Morocco for over two months, according to Sport 5, and is considered one of the best foreign players in the league.

He has an average of 19.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

Morocco and Israel, through the Abraham Accords, announced diplomatic ties in 2020.