Israel Reaffirms Support for Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Rabat – Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Gideon Sa’ar reaffirmed on Wednesday his country’s support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.

Following a meeting with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, Sa’ar said in a statement that he had repeatedly reiterated the same support during other meetings with Moroccan government officials.

Sa’ar’s discussions with Bourita covered the two nations’ close bilateral relations and the collaborative initiatives that they intend to undertake.

The Isareli minister stressed that the bilateral talks are part of strengthening Morocco-Israel relations, expressing the hope that the Moroccan FM will soon visit Israel.

Sa’ar’s visit to Morocco was marked by meetings with several senior Moroccan government officials, which he described as a “success.”

On Tuesday, he signed a judicial accord in Rabat with his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Ouahbi, with Morocco and Israel pledging to cooperate in the fight against organised crime, terrorism, and human trafficking.

In June, Israel’s Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked also reaffirmed during an official visit to the kingdom her country’s support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.

On December 10, 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the restoration of diplomatic relations that had been suspended in 2000 due to opposition from Moroccan authorities and parties.

Since the re-establishment of their diplomatic ties, the two countries have signed a series of agreements to boost cooperation in several fields, including culture, trade, innovation and technology, and the healthcare sector.

Earlier in this month, the Israeli IMS group unveiled plans to invest an estimated budget of MAD 5 billion ($497 million) for the design, construction, and equipment of some Moroccan hospitals.

In February, Morocco and Israel signed an economic cooperation pact that seeks to boost the value of their commercial exchanges to half a billion dollars annually.

Israel has repeatedly expressed interest in increasing its trade with Morocco from $130 million (MAD 1.2 billion) to $500 million (MAD 4.7 billion).

According to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, trade between Morocco and Israel grew from $14.9 million in January-July 2020 to $20.8 million in the same period in 2021.