The national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Beniamin Netanyahu visited Rabat on Wednesday, at a time when his government is considering a possible announcement to recognize Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, according to official sources.
Morocco considers that Western Sahara is part of its territory, but the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, claims it for the creation of an independent State. In 2020, then-US President Donald Trump recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the territory in exchange for its partial improvement in relations with Israel.
A diplomatic source told Reuters that Israel's move on Western Sahara could lead to a complete upgrading of its diplomatic ties with Rabat. With the recognition, Israel's diplomatic missions on Moroccan soil, currently designated liaison offices, would become embassies and the door would be opened to a future free trade pact.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the matter. But a source in Netanyahu's cabinet acknowledged that it is being discussed in the country's National Security Council (NSC).
The head of the CSN, the National Security Adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, met on Wednesday with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, according to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without providing further details.
The head of Israel's diplomatic mission in Rabat said on Tuesday that the Israeli and Moroccan foreign ministries are holding discussions on Western Sahara, adding that "the final decision will be a decision made by our two ministers."
Winning support for its position on Western Sahara is the ultimate goal of Moroccan diplomacy, which has been emboldened by Trump's recognition and the consequent support from other Western powers, such as Spain, for its autonomy plan.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Wednesday that he and his counterparts from the Abraham Accord countries will meet in Morocco "in a matter of weeks." Speaking to Israel's Kan radio station, Cohen did not provide a date or location for the so-called "Negev Forum," named after the Israeli desert where the first meetings were held last year.
At that meeting, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, declared: "I hope that we will meet very soon in a different desert but with the same spirit."
Moroccan media reported a possible plan to meet again in the Saharawi city of Dakhla. Rabat has not yet provided details on the meeting venue or schedule.
Holding it in coastal Dakhla could pose a challenge to Washington, which has never followed through on Trump's promise to open a US consulate in Western Sahara.
Another 28 countries have done so, in Dakhla or in the city of El Aaiún, in what Morocco considers tangible support for its control of Western Sahara. Among these countries are the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both signatories to the Abraham Accords. Other Persian Gulf countries fully support Morocco's claim to sovereignty.
