RABAT: Morocco’s king has extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an official tour to his country, Arab media reported on Wednesday.
The development occurred two days after Israel recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region.
Morocco’s King Invites Israeli Prime Minister for Visit
In a personal letter, which was also confirmed by Morocco’s official news agency, the King thanked Israel for its stance and said Netanyahu’s trip “would open new opportunities for strengthening bilateral ties”. Former US President Donald Trump had also recognized Morocco’s claim to the territory in return for Morocco’s resumption of diplomatic relations with Israel.
Meanwhile, a State Department spokesperson told the journalists on Wednesday that Washington’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory remains unchanged.
Twenty-eight other nations – mostly Arab and African- have opened their consulates in the Western Saharan cities of Dakhla, in what Morocco sees as support for its Western Saharan rule.
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After Israel’s announcement on Monday, a Moroccan top government official told foreign media that efforts to upgrade Morocco’s liaison office in Israel to an embassy are “ongoing,” without offering more details.
It maintained that Israel’s recognition would not affect Morocco’s “principles” in defending the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the East Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza, among territories Israel occupied in a 1967 Arab war.
