Alwaght- US new administration reportedly has decided to uphold its predecessor's controversial decision to recognize Morocco’s disputed sovereignty over the Western Sahara for the benefit of Israeli regime.
The recognition came as part of a deal with the despotic North African country to normalize relations with the Israeli regime.
US Secretary Antony Blinken informed Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita during a Friday phone call that the Biden administration would not, “for the time being,” reverse his predecessor’s pro-Israeli move in the waning days of his presidency, US-based Axios news website reported, citing “two sources familiar with the call.”
“The secretary welcomed Morocco’s steps to improve relations with Israel and noted the Morocco-Israel relationship will bring long-term benefits for both countries,” according to a readout of the call released by the State Department.
Responding to inquires about the issue during a Friday press briefing, State Department deputy spokesperson Jaline Porter tried to dodge the issue.
“When it comes to Western Sahara, we are consulting privately with parties on how to best halt the violence there… We would also talk about having the goal to achieve a lasting settlement,” she said.
Trump’s recognition of the Western Sahara as part of Morocco reversed decades of Washington’s policy regarding the disputed territory. It was part of a wider agreement with Rabat’s ruler that included the renewal of diplomatic ties between the Israeli and the Moroccan regimes that triggered massive protests in the occupied Palestine and Morocco.
The US thus became the only Western country to recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, which was annexed by the Rabat regime in 1975 after former colonial European government of Spain surrendered control.
The report further revealed that 10 days ago Biden's Middle East advisor Brett McGurk “spoke to Bourita and gave the impression that there would be no change in the US policy on Western Sahara,” citing a source familiar with the call.
It also noted that although the State Department’s readout of Blinken's conversation with Bourita on Friday didn't mention Western Sahara, its sources confirmed that the matter was discussed and that Blinken did state that the Biden administration would not reverse Trump's policy for now.
The report further pointed out that senior White House and State Department officials have held multiple discussions on the issue over the last few weeks, underlining that “the decision that emerged from these discussions was not to reverse Trump's policy but to work with the Moroccans on appointing a new UN envoy for the Western Sahara in order to try and resume talks on possible autonomy for the sparsely populated territory.”
It also noted that both Morocco and the Israeli regime had become concerned that the Biden administration may reverse Trump’s contentious decision, solely intended to press more Arab dictatorships to recognize the regime occupying Palestine.
The two regimes agreed last December to normalize relations in a deal brokered by Washington, making Morocco the fourth US-backed Arab kingdom last year to strike a deal aimed at establishing ties with Tel Aviv. The others were the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
The move sparked protests across the North African country, opposing the deal and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause while condemning Israeli regime’s persisting atrocities against Palestine’s native population.
Later, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to Tel Aviv in a “warm and friendly” phone conversation, as described by Netanyahu’s office, agreeing to continue contacts in order to advance the normalization agreement in the weeks ahead.
Meanwhile, Trump’s controversial decision, which contradicts UN resolutions on the issue, has also been challenged by US lawmakers.
In February, half the US Senate signed a bipartisan letter led by Republican Jim Inhofe and senior Democrat Patrick Leahy calling on Biden to reverse Trump’s “illegitimate” decision.
“The abrupt decision by the previous administration on December 11, 2020, to officially recognize the Kingdom of Morocco’s illegitimate claims of sovereignty over Western Sahara was short-sighted, undermined decades of consistent US policy, and alienated a significant number of African nations,” the senators wrote.
“The Sahrawi people deserve the right to freely choose their own destiny. We hope that we can count on you to be a partner in this effort,” they added.
