Israel recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over disputed territory in western Sahara, joining the United States as the only countries to do so. Western Sahara had been under Moroccan control since 1975, when Spanish colonial rule ceased. The future of the area had been under dispute with Algeria. The US and Israel recognition of Moroccan rule over the Western Sahara was rejected by the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union. However, a dozen Arab and Moslem states accepted Morocco’s claim. Like Bahrain, the UAE, and the Sudan that had recognized Israel since 2020, two common motivations to do so melded together: definitive enhancement of individual Arab state interests, with substantive provision of a particular US diplomatic embrace, along with American aid to these Arab states.
July 17, 2023
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