King of Morocco Invites Israeli PM Netanyahu for Official Visit as Relations Warm
Moroccan King Mohammed VI extended an invitation to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to visit after Israel recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the contested Western Sahara region on Monday. The recognition of the region was a condition for Israel to open an embassy in Morocco.
“I would like to express my sincere thanks and deep appreciation for your letter informing me of the State of Israel’s decision to recognize the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over its Sahara, and to favorably consider the opening of a consulate in the city of Dakhla,” the king said in a statement.
In a letter to Netanyahu, the king noted the large numbers of Moroccan Jews living in Israel, and expressed his hope that the visit “will open up new possibilities for bilateral relations between Morocco and Israel.”
Morocco and Israel’s standing peace agreement was signed in 2020 in a deal facilitated by the administration of former US President Donald Trump, who also formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Western Sahara has been a site of contention since 1975 when it was annexed by Morocco after Spain withdrew from the area. The Polisario Front declared independence for the region in 1976, launching a 16-year war for autonomy. Today Morocco controls three-quarters of the area, with the Polisario Front controlling the remaining quarter.
