Morocco to normalize relations with Israel

WASHINGTON— Morocco has agreed to begin normalizing relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab state this fall to do so, the White House announced Thursday.

Morocco now follows Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to set aside generations of hostilities toward the Jewish state as part of a campaign to stabilize the Middle East and North Africa — and, in doing so, cement a major foreign goal for President Donald Trump as he nears the end of his administration.

“We finally had a breakthrough four months ago, and we’re continuing to push the region forward,” said Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to Trump. Under the agreement, Morocco will open full diplomatic relations and formalize economic ties with Israel, Kushner said, as well as allow overflights of its air space and commercial flights from Tel Aviv. He said more than 1 million Israelis are descended from those who originally lived in Morocco. The White House also announced the U.S. would recognize the disputed Western Sahara territory as a sovereign part of Morocco.