RABAT: Morocco announced on Friday the postponement of a scheduled meeting of Arab allies of Israel, which it was set to host this summer, citing the escalating bloodshed in the occupied West Bank. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita expressed hope that the meeting could be rescheduled for a later date, when circumstances are more “favourable”.
This annual meeting, now in its second year, had already been postponed this spring following a previous surge of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Last year’s gathering successfully brought together the Israeli foreign minister and top diplomats from Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.
Efforts were underway to organize the meeting for this summer. However, Bourita acknowledged that a challenging political context could hinder the meeting’s ability to achieve the desired outcomes. “Unfortunately, there is a political context which could prevent this meeting from producing the results we had been hoping for,” Bourita stated.
Morocco normalized its relations with Israel in December 2020 as part of a broader agreement, which also involved the United States recognizing Morocco’s unilateral annexation of disputed Western Sahara. Nevertheless, this deal has faced criticism domestically, as the Palestinian cause continues to enjoy widespread public support within the North African nation.
