Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to arrange a three-way deal between Israel, the US, and Morocco, whereby Washington would recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara (which no nation recognizes as Moroccan), and Rabat would normalize relations with Israel, Channel 13 reports.
The network says Netanyahu made several overtures to Washington over the past year to promote such a deal, but former national security adviser John Bolton was strongly opposed. In recent months, following Bolton’s removal, Netanyahu tried again through Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but so far the White House has not agreed to the trade-off.
Street view in Rabat, the capital of Morocco (Russavia/Wikimedia Commons)
An Israeli official adds that the Moroccans are very unhappy with the gap between Netanyahu’s promises and the results so far, along with his touting of clandestine relations with Rabat for his own political purposes.
Israel and Morocco have had no official ties since 2000, though Israelis are allowed in the country and it is a popular destination for Israeli tourists.
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