Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana announced on Thursday during a visit to Morocco that he believes Israel will soon announce recognition of Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara. Ohana informed his counterparts in Morocco that, to the best of his understanding, the issue is in advanced discussions between Israel and Morocco, and even expressed his hope and belief that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have news on this matter soon.
Earlier today, an emotional reception was held for Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana in the Moroccan parliament. Parliament President Rashid Talbi al-Alami personally welcomed Speaker Ohana and the two walked together on the red carpet into the legislature.
Ohana with members of parliament, photo: Chambre des Représentants
In his first-ever statement by the Speaker of an Israeli Parliament, Ohana said: "This is a historic moment for me as Speaker of the Knesset and as the son of Moroccan parents. This is a new era in relations between the two countries. There is no doubt that political, security, civilian, and parliamentary cooperation is at its peak. This historic visit and the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the parliaments will pave the way for deepening relations between the countries and upgrading the missions to embassies."
Credit: Jaouad ACIM
At the beginning of the visit, Ohana and Al-Alami met for an official working meeting, which was also attended by local parliamentarians, including the head of the Morocco-Israel Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, Nureddin al-Harushi. At the meeting, Knesset Speaker Ohana stressed the importance of political and security cooperation between the countries, in light of the threats and challenges Iran poses to the countries of the region. At the height of the meeting, Knesset Speaker Ohana and Parliament President Al-Alami signed an official memorandum of understanding aimed at developing inter-parliamentary cooperation to strengthen relations between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco.
"A historic day as a son of Moroccan immigrants", photo: Jaouad ACIM
The president of the Moroccan parliament, Rashid Talbi Al-Alami, said in a statement to the media: "Morocco is the first Muslim country to have the courage to invite an Israeli Knesset speaker. Your arrival here is a great honor for me. This is a significant milestone for a future of peace in the Middle East. It is not easy to promote such an invitation, but history is made by the brave."
Desert of quarrel
When Spain left Western Sahara, it was divided between Mauritania and Morocco, which claimed the territory by virtue of its historical rights. However, the natives of Western Sahara, known as the Sahrawis, demanded independence, and the organization they founded, the Polisario Front, began an armed rebellion to achieve their goal.
Is Israel taking sides? Western Sahara, photo: AFP
After a few years, Mauritania ceded its part of the region to Morocco, and since then Morocco and the internationally recognized Polisario Front have been fighting for control of it. In 1991, an internationally brokered ceasefire was reached and it was agreed that a referendum would be held in which the residents of the region would vote which country they wished to belong to, a referendum that has not been held to this day. Two-thirds of Western Sahara, home to natural resources, settlements, and the Atlantic coastline, remains under Moroccan control, and one-third of the more desert territory is in the hands of the Polisario. Between the two areas, Morocco erected a separation wall to prevent raids into territory under its control
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us
