Morocco puts forward condition in exchange for opening embassy in Israel

Morocco in recent months has started to link the opening of an embassy in Tel Aviv to formal recognition by the Israeli government of its sovereignty in Western Sahara, Report informs referring to Axios.

Then-President Trump’s recognition of Western Sahara as part of Morocco two years ago was part of a broader deal that included the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Morocco.

Morocco opened diplomatic liaison offices in Israel in lieu of embassies, but in January 2021, King Mohammed VI told Netanyahu in a call that he was committed to opening embassies as part of the next phase of the process.

The Moroccan government has been locked in a long-standing dispute over the territory with the Saharawi Polisario Front, an armed group in Western Sahara that calls for independence.

Four current and former Israeli officials told Axios that in recent months, Moroccan officials have demanded formal Israeli recognition of Western Sahara every time Israeli officials raised the issue of the liaison office upgrade.

So far, the Israeli government has decided not to engage on this issue, the Israeli officials said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry believes the Moroccans are using the recognition issue as a pretext to not open a full embassy in Tel Aviv because of criticism back home, per the Israeli officials.

Israeli officials believe the incoming government won’t have a problem recognizing Western Sahara as part of Morocco, pointing to Netanyahu’s hopes to visit the kingdom in the coming months.