Israel and Morocco Agree to Normalize Bilateral Relations

The U.S. President announced the normalization of ties between Morocco and Israel in exchange for the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.  "Another historical advance today! Our two big friends, Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco, have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations," Donald Trump said on Thursday on Twitter.

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As part of the agreement, the Republican magnate said the United States would recognize Morocco's claim to the disputed region of Western Sahara, an area which the African country has been claiming as its own for decades. Trump added that normalization between the two nations includes the immediate reopening of liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv and, consequently, the embassies' eventual opening.

The White House also confirmed the news, noting that the U.S. president held a telephone conversation with the Moroccan King, Mohammed VI. Both had agreed to the resumption of ties between Morocco and Israel and will extend cooperation to the economic and cultural sectors.

Morocco is the fourth Arab country to establish relations with Israel in recent months, after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan.

In 1993, Morocco and Israel established low-level relations, following the Oslo agreements' signing between the Palestinians and Israelis. However, Rabat suspended them after the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada (uprising) in 2000.

In September, Bahrain and the UAE signed a series of pacts for the normalization of ties with Israel in the White House (USA), under the watchful eye of Trump, who, according to the Israeli news outlet, Arutz Sheva, seeks to put pressure on the application of such a measure in other countries of the region. Sudan joined the countries above in October and reconciled with Israel, after several weeks of dialogue, in which Washington played a crucial role. 

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials warned that normalization with Israel would end up playing against them and undermine the security of Arab countries, as it will pave the way for "the establishment of a military alliance" led by the Israeli regime in the region.