Israel and Morocco agree to normalise relations

Israel and Morocco have announced an agreement to normalise relations between them, marking the fourth such historic accord in as many months between Arab nations and the Jewish state.

The deal was brokered with the help of the United States, after Donald Trump agreed to recognise Morocco’s disputed sovereignty over Western Sahara, which the UN deems to be a “non-self-governing territory”.

By agreeing to normalise relations, King Mohammed VI has made Morocco the fourth Arab-majority country to shake hands with Israel since the summer, the others being the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

Under the agreement, Morocco will establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, grant overflights and also direct flights to and from Israel for all Israelis.

White House advisor Jared Kushner said: “They are going reopen their liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv immediately with the intention to open embassies and they are going to promote economic cooperation between Israeli and Moroccan companies.”

He added that it was “another historic milestone,” saying Morocco was “building on its longstanding bond with the Moroccan Jewish community living in Morocco and throughout the world, including in Israel”.

The White House said it likewise gave its support for “Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory… as such the president recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory”.

Trump tweeted: “Morocco recognised the United States in 1777. It is thus fitting we recognise their sovereignty over Western Sahara.”