According to WASHINGTON Report — The White House said on Thursday, 10th December, 2020, that Morocco had agreed to begin normalizing relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab state this fall to do so and advancing a major foreign goal for President Trump administration.
Trump administration also recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara.
But government officials in Morocco obviously avoided committing to an opening of embassies or consulates in each other’s countries, pledging only to “resume diplomatic relations as soon as possible,” after Mr. Trump announced what he described as “a massive breakthrough” for Middle East peace.
"Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!
"Morocco would follow Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to set aside generations of hostilities toward the Jewish state as part of a campaign to stabilize the Middle East and North Africa".
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump, December 10, 2020
Briefing reporters in Washington, Jared Kushner, the president's senior adviser and son-in-law, said the agreement called for Morocco to begin full diplomatic relations and formalize economic ties with Israel. It will also allow overflights of its air space and direct commercial flights to Moroccan airports from Tel Aviv, Mr. Kushner said.
He said more than one million Israelis are descended from those who originally lived in Morocco.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel celebrated the announcement at a prearranged, televised Hanukkah lighting ceremony at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, accompanied by David M. Friedman, the American ambassador to Israel.
“There have been strong ties between Morocco and the Jewish people throughout the entire modern era,” Mr. Netanyahu said. He predicted “a very warm peace,” given that Israel and Morocco have maintained close, if informal, relations for more than half a century.
Mr. Kushner also said that recognizing the disputed area as part of Morocco could give the members of the independence movement a “better opportunity to live a better life.”
“This is an issue that’s been out there for a long time and quite frankly, there’s just been no progress on a resolution,” he said. He said the agreement “can possibly break the logjam” to help advance the issues.
The Trump administration had long hoped Saudi Arabia would join the push for normalizing relations with Israel. Mr. Kushner said “that notion was unthinkable” before Mr. Trump took office in 2016.
“Now we have peace sprouting in the Middle East,” Mr. Kushner said. “The fruits of these efforts have become very apparent, but we also believe there is a lot more fruit to come.”
Reviewed by Okenwa Chinedu
on
December 10, 2020
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