King Mohammed VI says Israel’s recognition of Morocco’s Sovereignty over its Sahara is just and far-sighted

King Mohammed VI has said that Israel’s “important” decision to recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara and to favorably consider the opening of a Consulate in the city of Dakhla is “both just and far-sighted.”

This came in a message that the Sovereign has addressed to the Prime Minister of Israel Benyamin Netanyahu.

“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 stated in his message, adding that this decision “has been warmly welcomed by the Moroccan people and the nation’s driving forces.”

The Sovereign pointed out that the Moroccan Sahara issue is “the national cause of the Kingdom and is the priority of our foreign policy,” adding that “your important decision is both just and far-sighted.”

“It is just in that it reaffirms Morocco’s legal entitlement to, and irrefutable historical rights over its Saharan Provinces,” noted the Sovereign, adding that “the definite jurisdiction of the Moroccan State and the legal ties of allegiance which have existed, since time immemorial, between the Kings of Morocco and the Moroccan populations inhabiting these territories – which have always been so dear to the hearts of Morocco’s Monarchs – are both well-established and undeniable.”

“Your decision is also far-sighted because it is in line with the irreversible international dynamic that has seen many countries, from all parts of the world, backing a final solution to this anachronistic regional dispute, on the basis of the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative for the Sahara region, within the framework of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” King Mohammed VI stated further.

The Sovereign also recalls that since December 2020, bilateral relations between Morocco and Israel have gone from strength to strength in all sectors.

“The momentum characterizing our ties is unprecedented, be it in terms of the exchange of visits by officials and the business community, the development of the bilateral framework, the diversification of our cooperation or the consolidation of trade relations,” stated the King, who welcomed the fact that the deep human bonds that exist between the Morocco and Israel – notably through the Jewish community of Moroccan origin – have been serving as a catalyst.

The Sovereign expressed his confidence that the clear position taken by Mr. Netanyahu, on behalf of the State of Israel, regarding the Moroccanness of the Sahara “will contribute to closer ties between Morocco and Israel,” assuring him of his firm and unwavering commitment.

“As I indicated during our telephone conversation on 25 December 2020, you are welcome to visit Morocco on a mutually agreed date, to be determined through diplomatic channels,” the King stressed in the message.

In this context, the Sovereign affirmed that this meeting “will open up new possibilities for bilateral relations between Morocco and Israel” and “will also be an opportunity to promote the prospects of peace for all peoples in the region, bearing in mind the content of the Tripartite Declaration signed on 22 December 2020 by the Kingdom of Morocco, the United States of America and the State of Israel, including the principles which should guide the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”