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Israel recognises Western Sahara as part of Morocco
A separatist movement, backed by Algeria, has long pushed for an independent state
Israel has recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the Moroccan government has said.
It added on Monday that Israel is mulling opening a consulate in Dakhla.
A statement from Morocco’s royal palace said Israel’s position was expressed in a letter to King Mohammed VI from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Morocco has had control of the territory, but little international recognition, since 1975, after Spanish colonial rule ended.
The Algerian-backed Polisario Front demands an independent state in Western Sahara. In 2020, then-US President Donald Trump recognised Morocco’s claim to the territory in return for its partial upgrade of relations with Israel.
The Israeli position “will be sent to the United Nations, regional and international organisations…as well as all the states Israel has diplomatic relations with,” the statement from Morocco’s royal palace quotes the letter as saying.
Israel’s position on Western Sahara is “clear-cut” and comes as part of a momentum in Morocco’s favour, after Washington and Madrid in addition to other European capitals supported its autonomy plan for the territory, a senior government official told Reuters news agency.
The Israeli recognition will not affect Morocco’s “principles” in defending the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he added.
In 2020, Morocco agreed to normalise relations with Israel in a US-brokered deal. As part of the agreement, Trump agreed to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
Morocco became the fourth country to strike a deal aimed at normalising relations with Israel. The others were the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
Palestinians have been critical of the deals, saying Arab countries have set back the cause of peace by abandoning a long-standing demand that Israel gives up land for a Palestinian state before it can receive recognition, reports BBC.