Doha – In a display reminiscent of a hyena attempting to claim credit for the lion’s hunt, Israeli media recently tried to attribute Paraguay’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara to Israel’s diplomatic efforts.

Not only does this Israeli narrative attribute outsized influence and fictitious generosity to Israeli diplomacy, but it conveniently ignores Morocco’s South American outreach, brushing out the fact that diplomatic relations between Asunción and Rabat long predated any supposed or real Israeli involvement in this particular matter.

But understanding what is really at stake here calls for putting the development the Israeli media was triumphantly referencing into its proper context. Last November, Paraguay’s Senate expressed unequivocal support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and Autonomy Plan to resolve the Western Sahara dispute through a historic resolution adopted during its plenary session, marking the first such recognition by the country’s upper house.

For The Jerusalem Post, this diplomatic breakthrough was influenced by recent discussions between Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Paraguayan leaders.

The Israeli newspaper claimed that the resolution, introduced by Raúl Latorre, president of the Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies, came after Latorre and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña met with Ohana during their visit to Israel.

The Senate resolution urged the Paraguayan government to adopt this position officially and reflect it in international forums.

The text was formally transmitted to President Santiago Pena and Morocco’s ambassador in Asuncion, Badreddine Abdelmoumni.

However, this narrative conveniently overlooks that Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies had already adopted seven pro-Morocco resolutions, including five specifically addressing the territorial issue, since the opening of the Moroccan Embassy in Asuncion in November 2016 – years before Israel’s own recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty in 2023.

This recognition aligns with a broader shift in Latin America’s stance on the Western Sahara issue.

The region, once a stronghold of support for the Algerian-backed separatist movement, has seen an increasing number of countries reassessing their positions after reportedly feeling misled by the Polisario Front’s ideological propaganda.

The resolution specifically endorsed Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the only basis for achieving a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to the dispute.

A duplicitous partner?

Israel’s recognition of Morocco’s territorial integrity has been repeatedly undermined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own actions, casting doubt on the sincerity of Israel’s diplomatic commitments.

In four separate instances since December 2020, Netanyahu has publicly displayed maps showing Morocco without its southern provinces, most recently during an international press conference about the Gaza genocide in September.

These recurring incidents, which Netanyahu’s office dismissively attributed to “old maps” in a May 2023 apology, reveal a troubling pattern of diplomatic inconsistency and the superficial nature of Israel’s commitment to Morocco’s sovereignty.

Despite Israel’s July 2023 official recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara through a letter to King Mohammed VI, Netanyahu’s repeated use of incomplete maps suggests either a calculated diplomatic slight or a profound disregard for Morocco’s territorial integrity – neither of which befits a diplomatic partner.

The timing of these cartographic provocations is particularly telling, with the latest incident occurring amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza that has claimed over 45,000 Palestinian lives, mostly women and children.

This context has sparked daily protests across Moroccan cities, including Rabat, with citizens calling for the severing of diplomatic ties with Israel and the prosecution of its leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Morocco’s diplomatic prowess

Morocco demonstrated remarkable diplomatic prowess long before the establishment of the modern State of Israel, with the North African kingdom famously becoming the first nation to recognize the United States in 1777.

This historic milestone marked the beginning of centuries of sophisticated diplomacy that would characterize Morocco’s international relations.

Morocco’s diplomatic achievements, particularly regarding the Western Sahara issue, are the result of decades of patient, strategic engagement that long predates recent attempts by Israel to portray itself as a key diplomatic player in the region.

Under Mohammed VI’s leadership, Morocco has significantly evolved its diplomatic strategy while maintaining its historical foundations.

The country’s approach to the Western Sahara issue exemplifies this evolution, transitioning from a defensive posture in 1999-2006 to a proactive diplomatic campaign that has garnered increasing international support.

During the first phase (1999-2006), Morocco successfully resisted international pressure for a referendum while introducing the concept of a political compromise solution.

The second phase (2007-2017) witnessed a transformative breakthrough with Morocco’s presentation of the autonomy initiative.

The UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 1754 marked a historic shift, describing Morocco’s plan as “serious and credible” and establishing it as the foundation for negotiations.

This period saw Morocco skillfully navigating diplomatic challenges, including successfully neutralizing attempts to introduce human rights monitoring mechanisms in 2013.

The third phase (2018-present) has been characterized by Morocco’s strategic success in establishing Algeria’s role as a principal party to the conflict through UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2703.

Morocco’s diplomatic capabilities have extended far beyond the Western Sahara issue. The country’s return to the African Union in 2017 marked a strategic pivot that fundamentally altered continental dynamics.

This move was complemented by significant economic initiatives, including a $2.4 billion fertilizer plant partnership with Ethiopia and the ambitious Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.

The effectiveness of Morocco’s multifaceted diplomacy is evident in its ability to manage complex relationships with global powers.

The country has successfully diversified its partnerships beyond traditional allies, establishing strategic relationships with Russia, China, and India while maintaining strong ties with Western partners. Trade with Brazil, for instance, has grown by 30% annually since 2015.

Morocco’s role as a mediator in international conflicts has further solidified its diplomatic standing. The country’s recent successful mediation between France and Burkina Faso, resulting in the release of four French nationals in December, demonstrates its continued diplomatic influence. President Emmanuel Macron’s personal call of gratitude to King Mohammed VI showed the significance of this diplomatic achievement.

The country’s ongoing facilitation of Libyan political dialogue in Bouznika exemplifies its commitment to regional stability. Morocco has maintained this constructive role despite pressure from various actors, demonstrating its diplomatic independence and principled approach to conflict resolution.

Historical records reveal Morocco’s long-standing role in Middle East peace efforts, hosting groundbreaking secret meetings between Egyptian and Israeli officials in the 1970s that paved the way for the Camp David Accords. This legacy of mediation predates current diplomatic arrangements and highlights Morocco’s established role as a bridge-builder.

Most recently, Morocco’s diplomatic infrastructure has expanded significantly, with 28 countries opening consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla, including 22 African nations – a process that began well before any Israeli involvement in the region.

This development, alongside growing international support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative from more than 100 countries, including over 20 European Union member states, demonstrates the country’s ability to transform diplomatic relationships into tangible political achievements while maintaining its historical role as a respected mediator in international affairs.

Read also: Western Sahara Diplomacy Is Already One of King Mohammed VI’s Lasting Legacies

Israeli media bias: A pattern of distorted reality

Analysis of Israeli media coverage reveals a consistent pattern of bias and selective reporting that extends beyond the recent Paraguay situation. Academic studies by Israeli scholars themselves have documented how Israeli media consistently frames international events through an ethnocentric lens that prioritizes Israeli interests while minimizing or distorting other nations’ diplomatic achievements.

According to a 2010 paper by Eli Avraham and Anat First, Israeli media coverage has historically demonstrated a tendency toward “symbolic extinction” and “objectification” of other parties, reflecting unequal power relations in their reporting.

This pattern is evident in The Jerusalem Post’s coverage of Paraguay’s recognition, with the Israeli outlet attempting to portray this significant development as primarily an Israeli diplomatic achievement.

The institutionalization of media bias in Israel, as noted by a 2011 study by Dan Caspi, shows how powerful media conglomerates extend their hegemony by maintaining control over the public agenda.

This explains the systematic attempt to claim credit for diplomatic breakthroughs that are actually the result of long-standing Moroccan diplomatic efforts – a transparent attempt to divert attention from its failures in Gaza and manipulate Moroccan public opinion into believing that Israel is genuinely supporting Morocco’s interests.

Indeed, other, most recent studies have highlighted how Israeli journalists face challenges such as political hostility and institutional discrimination that privilege certain narratives while obscuring others. This helps explain the media’s selective focus on Ohana’s role while downplaying Morocco’s decades-long diplomatic relationship with Paraguay.

What transpires from all these studies and reports is that despite transformations in the news ecosystem, Israeli press practices remain largely unchanged, preserving a similar journalistic paradigm that often fails to provide comprehensive, balanced coverage of international diplomatic achievements.

In this sense, the coverage of Morocco-related diplomatic developments follows what Khalil Rinnawi has described as a pattern of delegitimization and obscuring of perspectives, serving to maintain specific political narratives rather than presenting objective diplomatic realities.

The Israeli media’s attempt to claim credit for Paraguay’s recognition is ultimately an eloquent, text-book example of narrative clusters that prioritize outward-looking political-diplomatic narratives that serve domestic political interests rather than reflecting diplomatic realities.