Netanyahu said seeking state visit to Morocco ahead of elections
Rabat reportedly sees warming up to Israel as pathway to Trump support for its claim on Western Sahara territory
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to arrange a state visit to Morocco just before Israelis go to the polls in April 9 elections, according to a report in a Moroccan media outlet.
The French-language website Le Desk reported on Tuesday that National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat is working, with US support, to arrange a meeting between Netanyahu and King Mohammed VI in Morocco.
The visit would take place around March 30, right after a visit to the African country by Pope Francis, according to Israel’s Hadashot TV news.
According to Le Desk, Mohammed VI may see developing closer ties with Israel as an inroad with the Trump administration as Morocco courts US support for its claims to Western Sahara, which most of the world views as an occupied territory.
Neither the Moroccan government nor the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office would confirm the report on Thursday.
Israel and Morocco do not have official diplomatic ties. In 2017, Mohammed VI canceled participation in a West African summit to avoid Netanyahu.
“Israel doesn’t respond to reports on contacts with states with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations,” the PMO told Hadashot.
Netanyahu, who is also Israel’s foreign and defense minister, has made diplomatic outreach to Africa, Latin America and the Far East a cornerstone of his foreign policy and has pushed for more open ties with moderate Arab states. In October, he made a rare trip to Oman.
He is also thought to be seeking high-profile visits showcasing his diplomatic achievements ahead of the April 9 elections.
On Monday, Israeli officials indicated Jerusalem was preparing for a “historic” visit by Mali’s Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, likely before elections.
The move came a day after Netanyahu cemented the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Chad during the first-ever visit of an Israeli premier to the Muslim-majority African country.
Chad severed ties with Israel in 1972, due to pressure from Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi.
Appearing alongside Chad’s President Idriss Déby at the N’Djamena presidential palace on Sunday, Netanyahu called the move “a breakthrough into the heart of the Muslim world.”
He also indicated that additional Muslim countries in Africa would soon warm up to Israel. “There will be more major news. There will be more countries,” he said, without elaborating.
