Trump Announces Morocco-Israel Peace Deal

President Donald J. Trump is celebrating. Today he signed a proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the West Sahara region. The agreement adds to Trump’s Mideast legacy.

Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2020

The new deal with Morocco paves the way for the country to make peace with Israel, which is politically referred to as “normalizing relations.” The progress marks the fourth Arab-Israel agreement in four months.

President Trump tweeted that it’s only fitting for the U.S. to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara; knowing that the country recognized the sovereignty of the U.S. in 1777.

“As of today, the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory and reaffirms its support for Morocco’s serious, credible and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory,” states the official proclamation from The White House. “The United States believes that an independent Sahrawi State is not a realistic option for resolving the conflict and that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution.”

The peace deal includes the immediate reopening of liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv. The nations will eventually open embassies. Overflight rights are also part of the agreement—which is part of a greater effort by the U.S. to counter the influence of Iran in the region.

The White House said Trump and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI had agreed in a conversation that Morocco would “resume diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel and expand economic and cultural cooperation to advance regional stability.”

To help further facilitate good relations between the countries, the president said the United States will open a consulate in Dakhla in the Western Sahara territory to promote economic and business opportunities for the region, as stated in the official proclamation. {eoa}