Israel offers support to Morocco over Western Sahara after summit
[1/2] Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid departs the Kedma Hotel, the location of "The Negev Summit", attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the Foreign Ministers of Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt in Sde Boker, Israel, March 28, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
JERUSALEM, March 28 (Reuters) - Israel on Monday voiced support for Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara after the countries' foreign ministers met at an Israel-Arab summit.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid hosted counterparts from four Arab countries in southern Israel. Following his meeting with Nasser Bourita from Morocco, Lapid issued a statement that the countries would work together to counter "attempts to weaken Moroccan sovereignty and territorial integrity".
Morocco considers Western Sahara its own but an Algeria-backed independence movement demands a sovereign state. Rabat says its 2007 proposal to offer Western Sahara autonomy within Morocco is the most it can propose as a political solution to the conflict.
Lapid lauded a recent decision by Spain to support Morocco's autonomy plan, calling it "a positive development".
Morocco agreed in 2020 to normalise ties with Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords that were brokered by the United States. As part of the deal, and in a departure from longstanding U.S. policy, then-President Donald Trump agreed to recognise Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
