Morocco and Israel to establish diplomatic relations, Trump says
By Miriam Berger,
Fadel Senna AFP/Getty Images
Morocco and Israel agreed Thursday to establish diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by the United States, making the North African nation the fourth Arab-majority country in recent months to say it would normalize ties with Israel.
President Trump said in tweets announcing the deal that the United States would also recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the long-contested region of Western Sahara.
[Israel’s relations in the Middle East, explained]
Trump spoke by phone Thursday with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to secure the agreement, under which Morocco and Israel will establish full diplomatic ties and official contacts, as well as direct flights between the two countries.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan recently moved to normalize relations with Israel in deals brokered by Washington.
