After the recent normalization of ties between Morocco and Israel, the first Israeli commercial plane with US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat landed at Rabat. Morocco became the third Arab state this year to normalize ties with Israel, after the UAE and Bahrain. Sudan is also expected to follow suit in the not so distant future.
It needs to be mentioned that Mr. Kushner has been the main face behind the pan-Arab rapprochement with Israel. Mr. Kushner, who is an Adviser at the White House, himself is a Jew.
Morocco had, following the start of the Second Intifada in 2000, closed its liaison office in Israel.
The Israeli decision to normalize relations with Morocco followed the US decision to recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara, a disputed region in the north-western part of the continent. This region was earlier under Spanish rule and shares borders with Mauritania and Algeria, apart from Morocco.
In this context, it is pertinent to note the role played by the Polisario Front. The Polisario Front is an armed group which has been fighting for independence for Western Sahara with the armed forces of Morocco for decades. In addition, Algeria, for its own ends, has been supporting the Front for a long time.
There are many voices within and without Morocco which are saying that the Kingdom is trying to dispel the domestic anger towards a reconciliation with Israel with the Western Sahara victory.
It needs to be stated that, before the formation of Israel, a large number of Jews used to live in Morocco after being expelled from some countries of Europe.
