Quoting a letter from the Israeli prime minister, the Moroccan royal cabinet announced on Monday that the Jewish state has decided to “recognize the sovereignty of Morocco” over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Benjamin Netanyahu also informs Mohammed VI that Israel is considering positively “the opening of a consulate in the city of Dakhla”, located in the part of Western Sahara controlled by the kingdom.
After Washington, Israel has decided to “recognize the sovereignty of Morocco” over the disputed territory of Western Sahara , announced Monday, July 17, the royal cabinet in Rabat, citing a letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a context tense regional.
“By this letter, the Israeli Prime Minister has brought to the Very High Attention of His Majesty the King (Mohammed VI) the decision of the State of Israel to recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over the territory of Western Sahara”, indicates the Palace in a press release. In his missive, Benjamin Netanyahu specifies that the position of his country will be “reflected in all the acts and relevant documents of the Israeli government”.
Finally, Benjamin Netanyahu informed the Moroccan sovereign that Israel was examining positively “the opening of a consulate in the city of Dakhla”, located in the part of Western Sahara controlled by the kingdom. Rabat wants its allies to open diplomatic representations in Western Sahara in recognition of the “Moroccanness” of the vast territory and as a pledge of their support for the kingdom
“This decision is part of a dynamic initiated in recent years, with the recognition by the United States of the sovereignty of the kingdom over its Southern Provinces (Western Sahara, editor’s note), the support of around fifteen of European countries to the autonomy plan and the opening of around thirty consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla,” a senior Moroccan official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “This recognition reinforces this dynamic,” he said.
Tense relations with Algeria
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is considered a “non-self-governing territory” by the UN in the absence of a definitive settlement. For nearly 50 years, a conflict has opposed Morocco to the separatists of the Polisario Front , supported by Algiers. Rabat advocates an autonomy plan under its exclusive sovereignty, while the Polisario calls for a self-determination referendum under the aegis of the UN.
In Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen welcomed the decision. “This measure will consolidate relations between states and peoples, and the pursuit of cooperation in order to strengthen regional peace and stability,” he said.
The Israeli decision, which was expected, comes in a climate of heightened rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, the two neighbors having severed their diplomatic relations in 2021 at the initiative of Algiers. Morocco and Israel normalized diplomatic relations in December 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a process between Israel and several Arab countries, backed by Washington .
This alliance between Morocco and Israel – in return for American recognition of “Moroccan sovereignty” over Western Sahara – has further heightened tensions with Algiers, which has denounced “foreign maneuvers”.
