This week’s decision by Israel to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara is nothing short of historic. It has the potential to unlock more regional peace and prosperity than we have ever seen before.
This is a big deal for both Morocco and Israel. Morocco’s top priority when evaluating every strategic and diplomatic decision is to advance recognition and endorsement of its sovereignty in Western Sahara and its conflict transformation plan for the region.
Israel wants to deliver victories for the countries that have normalised relations with the Jewish state, as it still faces complex obstacles to deeper people-to-people peace and acceptance.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco attends the signing of bilateral agreements at the Agdal Royal Palace GettyImages-1129464364
King Mohammed VI of Morocco (Photo: Getty Images)
This week’s recognition announcement was critical for the Moroccans to push forward the promise of the peace agreement between the two countries, potentially expanding areas of economic and political cooperation in ways that until now have not been explored or even accessible.
Since the trilateral peace agreement signed between Morocco, Israel and the US, a few months after the Abraham Accords, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, has as yet to make an official visit to Israel.
As a result, all other Moroccan ministerial visits have been on hold, as the country’s protocol dictates.
This meant that many Memoranda of Understanding remained unsigned and projects were frozen until Israel finally signalled that it fully understands what Morocco needs.
Morocco is a country that celebrates its Jewish heritage deeply and constitutionally. Since the 2011 constitutional reforms, Jewish identity is officially a core component of Morocco’s ethno-religious mix.
So perhaps it is no surprise that following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recognition statement, the Moroccan government responded that the decision “confirms the special ties that bind the two countries and opens new horizons for cooperation in all areas”.
One of the biggest challenges to the Abraham Accords remains public opinion towards Israel in the Arab world.
Chama-s portrait at Nasab Morocco
Chama Mechtaly (Photo: handout)
A common critique directed at the peace agreements from the moment they were announced was the pervasive feeling that political deals could never culminate in meaningful people-to-people peace and conflict resolution.
To a large extent the business communities in Israel, Morocco and the Gulf have dispelled this sentiment.
However, we finally have an example that demonstrates how some strategic trust-building can transform even longstanding conflicts.
After Netanyahu’s letter was received by King Mohammed VI, Moroccans from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds started to publicly celebrate (with some even taking their celebrations to the streets).
They remember their parents and grandparents marching in 1975 to reclaim a territory formerly colonised by Spain despite existing evidence for Sahrawi allegiance to the Moroccan monarchs.
The Moroccanness of the Sahara echoes in wedding halls and school courtyards with songs passed down from parent to child: “Laayoune [the largest city in the disputed territory] is my eyes, the Sakia Hamra is mine, and the river is mine my Lord, the river is mine.”
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum GettyImages-1229042389
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum (Photo: Getty Images)
In a country with lots of ethnic and cultural diversity, this national cause became a symbol of unity, and many generations who were raised through Morocco’s independence and post-colonial era have grown up completely invested and ready to defend every inch of the Sahara.
To draw a parallel, just as Jews prayed towards Jerusalem, longing for it to be reunited, the majority of Moroccans longed for the day when the “southern provinces” were finally indisputably Moroccan.
Thus, given its importance in the hearts of both the populace and the elite, Israel stands to gain significant trust, gratitude, support and, more importantly, the privilege of being seen as a dependable, pragmatic and nuanced ally in the region.
This alone will accelerate people-to-people peace and understanding.
Fleur Hassan Nahoum is Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and Co-Founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council and Gulf Israel Women’s Forum
Chana Mechtaly is a Moroccan-born entrepreneur, activist, consultant, WIN Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a 40 under 40 awardee of Middle East Policy Council
