Morocco has withdrawn from hosting the Negev Forum next month, a significant diplomatic assembly including representatives from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United States, according to US and Israeli officials. The Moroccan decision followed recent Israeli actions to greatly expand its West Bank settlements.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s new government’s firm stance has reportedly caused discomfort among Arab participants, intensifying amid escalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions. The forum had been postponed multiple times and was slated for mid-July.
However, recent developments in Israel’s settlement policy have once again disrupted plans. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced last week that over 4,500 new settlement homes are planned, with control over planning approval being transferred almost entirely to Smotrich, a passionate advocate of the nationalist movement.
These policies, effective immediately, streamline the process of expanding West Bank settlements and retroactively legalize some illegal outposts. These actions could potentially hinder future normalization agreements in the Middle East, including with Saudi Arabia, thereby affecting the overall diplomatic atmosphere.