Morocco has announced the postponement of a summit for countries that have signed the Abraham Accords, which was scheduled to be hosted by Morocco this summer. This decision comes in response to the escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living Abroad, confirmed that Morocco is ready to host the second edition of the “Negev Forum” in the near future, hoping for a favorable political context, according to the Maghreb Arab Press agency.
It should be noted that the annual meeting, which is only in its second year, had already been postponed this spring due to earlier escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Last year’s meeting brought together the Israeli Foreign Minister with top diplomats from Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.
The deal faced internal criticism as the Palestinian issue enjoys widespread popularity in the North African country. On December 10, 2020, Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Israel, which had been severed in 2000 following the Second Palestinian Intifada. Morocco became the only Maghreb country to have relations with Israel after Mauritania cut its ties in 2010. It ranks sixth among Arab countries after Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt.
The United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, a territory disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front backed by Algeria, according to the tripartite agreement between Morocco, Israel, and the United States.
