Israel, Morocco to normalize relations

Morocco became the fourth country Thursday in the Middle East and North African region to agree to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, an 11th-hour foreign policy achievement for the lame duck Trump administration as it seeks to shore up regional support for Israel as a countermeasure to Iranian aggression. As part of the deal, the U.S. announced that it “recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory,” a huge win for Morocco’s government, but one that compromises the position of the region’s indigenous Sahrawi population, which has long sounded alarms over unfair treatment and persecution by the government in Rabat.

“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations — a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!” President Donald Trump said on Twitter Thursday.