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Rabat – The Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister, Nasser Bourita, said Morocco’s presence at the Negev summit seeks to consolidate his country’s cooperation with Israel and promote peace in the region.
Bourita took part in a press conference on Monday with high-level officials from the US, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt as part of the two-day Negev summit, which kicked off on Sunday.
During his speech to the press, Bourita expressed delight in taking part in the “historic and timely” summit, thanking Israel for the invitation and hospitality.
He said that Morocco’s presence, as instructed by King Mohammed VI, comes with two messages.
The first message is to our host and the people of Israel, Bourita said.
“As his majesty King Mohammed VI said, when we reestablished the relations [with Israel], this is not an opportunistic move, it is a move of conviction. It is a natural decision based on this long-standing relationship between Morocco and Israel and between the Kings of Morocco and the Jewish community,” the Moroccan FM said.
Bourita also recalled the attachment of the Moroccan Jewish community to Morocco.
“You are saying here maybe that every Israeli has someone in his family that has Jewish blood. It is not a joke, it is the reality. I learned that 2 of the mayors in the city of Negev are of Moroccan origin,” the Moroccan said.
Commenting on the re-establishment of relations with Tel Aviv, Bourita said that the joint declaration was beneficial to cooperation between Morocco, Israel, and the US.
“We achieved a lot,” Bourita said, citing visits between the countries, the signing of agreements, and the opening of direct flights, among others.
The Moroccan official vowed that there will be more formal visits between the two countries’ officials, which will advance cooperation and ties further.
With regards to Morocco’s second message, Bourita said: “We are here today because we genuinely, sincerely, and deeply believe in peace.”
The peace Morocco promotes is not the “kind of passive peace,” where partners turn their back on each other “and “peacefully ignore each other. But rather, we believe in truthful, paradigm shaping and value-creating peace. The only kind of peace is the battle worth waging,” the Moroccan FM said.
The official cited Morocco as a player in promoting peace and coexistence in the region, conveying the country’s efforts to create a “different narrative about relations between the people.”
During his speech, Bourita also reitrated Morocco’s constant support for the Palestinian cause, saying that a solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict is possible.
“We are for a two-state solution to the conflict, living side by side,” Bourita said stressing Morocco’s support for an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
The Moroccan FM emphasized that a solution to the conflict would also help in preserving the security and interest of Israel.
In addition, Bourita also expressed satisfaction with the presence and commitment of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to promoting regional peace.
“The US has been a reliable partner in promoting peace. Your personal commitment to this endeavor is very important for us,” Bourita said.
The US and Morocco share good bilateral relations. After Israel, Blinken is set to arrive in Morocco this week as part of his regional tour, according to the US State Department.
Blinken will also visit Algeria during his regional working trip.
