Israel officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a letter to the kingdom’s ruler, King Mohammed VI, on Monday.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed the report on Twitter. “I welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement on the recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara,” wrote Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, adding that the step would “strengthen the relations between the countries.”
Jerusalem’s updated position will be “reflected in all relevant acts and documents of the Israeli government,” King Mohammed VI claimed.
Israel also pledged to share its decision with “the United Nations, to regional and international organizations of which Israel is a member and to all countries with which Israel maintains diplomatic relations,” per the monarch.
Netanyahu informed Morocco that his government is mulling the opening of a consulate in the coastal city of Dakhla as part of the move, according to Morocco.
During a visit to Rabat last month, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana supported Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
“Israel should move toward that goal of recognizing the Moroccan Sahara just as our closest ally the United States did,” Ohana said during a news conference in the capital. “I supported and pushed toward that goal.”
Former President Donald Trump first recognized Moroccan rule over Western Sahara in return for the kingdom’s partial upgrade of relations with the Jewish state.
🔴HM King Mohammed VI received a letter from the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, who brought to the Very High Attention of HM the King, the decision of Israel to ‘’recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over the territory of Western Sahara’’. pic.twitter.com/vmowZxbbrV
— Moroccan Diplomacy 🇲🇦 (@Marocdiplo_EN) July 17, 2023
