Israel recognizes Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara
The move follows the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Morocco in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Israel has recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, in what constitutes a major victory for Rabat in its pursuit of outside recognition for the contested area.
The ministry said on Twitter that Israel has decided to "recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over the lands of Western Sahara."
Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until the mid-1970s. A 1991 cease-fire agreement saw Rabat lay claim to 80% of Western Sahara, with the rest being held by the Algiers-backed Polisario movement.
🔴توصل صاحب الجلالة الملك محمد السادس، نصره الله، برسالة من الوزير الأول لدولة إسرائيل فخامة السيد بنيامين نتنياهو. ومن خلال هذه الرسالة، رفع الوزير الأول الإسرائيلي إلى العلم السامي لصاحب الجلالة، نصره الله، قرار دولة إسرائيل "الاعتراف بسيادة المغرب على أراضي الصحراء الغربية". pic.twitter.com/Ji1Su1Ti7M
— الدبلوماسية المغربية 🇲🇦 (@MarocDiplo_AR) July 17, 2023
Algeria has opposed its neighbor laying claim to Western Sahara and has supported its independence from Morocco. While Morocco has offered some limited autonomy, it has affirmed that the territory must remain under its sovereignty. The Polisario movement, on the other hand, demands an independence referendum.
