Kushner joins Israelis on visit to Morocco
RABAT, MOROCCO » Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner led a delegation from Israel to Morocco on Tuesday on the first known direct flight since the two countries agreed to establish full diplomatic ties earlier this month as part of a series of U.S.-brokered normalization accords with Arab countries.
Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has overseen the diplomatic push that saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalize relations with Israel in historic agreements that also brought them major favors from Washington.
s part of the deal, Morocco, which is home to a small but centuries- old Jewish community and has long welcomed Israeli tourists, secured U.S. recognition of its 1975 annexation of the disputed region of Western Sahara, which is not recognized by the United Nations.
The U. S. decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has drawn criticism from the U.N. as well as American allies in Africa and beyond. African observers have said it could destabilize the broader region, already struggling against Islamist insurgencies and migrant trafficking. Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, who served as U.N. envoy to the Western Sahara, has called it “an astounding retreat from the principles of international law and diplomacy.”
Israel has traditionally backed the U.N. position and has not said whether it will join the U.S. in recognizing Moroccan control over the area.
Joining Kushner was the head of Israel’s delegation, National Security Adviser Meir Ben- Shabbat. Both men met with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and other top officials.
Speaking to reporters, Kushner described the meetings as “enormously productive.”
“Morocco and Israel are making huge strides on their commitments to resume full diplomatic relations, promote economic cooperation and to reopen their liaison offices very quickly,” he said.
Kushner also defended the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, saying it was “rejecting the failed status quo which benefits no one.” He called on both sides to work with the U.N. in implementing a proposal to give the people of the territory broad autonomy.
“Genuine autonomy is the only feasible option, but it will take work,” Kushner said.
The delegations signed a joint declaration pledging to quickly begin direct flights, promote economic cooperation, reopen liaison offices and move toward “full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations.”
Adam Boehler, chief executive of the U.S. international development and finance corporation, said he expected the visit to yield huge trade benefits by bringing an existing relationship out into the open.
“We’ve been doing a lot of legwork looking at investment in Morocco,” he said. “They’re a gateway to Africa, they’ve been a great ally to the United States, they have a great investment climate. So I think you’re going to see obviously a multi billion dollar memorandum coming out of this but also some individual investments announced.”