Morocco did most of the normalization of relations with Israel last month, but only committed to opening liaison offices, rather than embassies.
Why it matters: The decision led to speculation that Morocco was waiting to see if the Biden government would withdraw Trump’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara before going all the way with Israel. It also disappointed Netanyahu, who hoped Morocco would commit itself to full embassies, according to a senior Israeli official.
Send the news: The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, said in a call to Netanyahu last week that he was committed to opening embassies as part of the next phase of the process, Israeli officials told me about the call.
- Mohammed also reacted positively when Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat raised the embassy issue in Rabat two weeks ago, which was also attended by Jared Kushner, Israeli officials say.
- An Israeli official added that normalization is moving very fast and will eventually include embassies. Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on this story.
The state of affairs: An Israeli delegation is visiting Rabat this week to investigate the former Israeli liaison office, which was closed 20 years ago but is still owned by the Israeli government, Israeli officials say.
- Morocco also held its property in Tel Aviv, and a Moroccan delegation paid a similar visit there last week to see if the office could be reopened on a short schedule.
- Morocco and Israel have also pledged in their joint statement to launch direct flights and resume contact at all levels of government. Several phone calls between Israeli and Moroccan ministers have taken place since then.
What’s next: According to Israeli officials, the plan is for both parties to open liaison offices next week, if necessary in temporary locations.
- The US has also announced that it will open a consulate in Dakhla in Western Sahara. Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker will visit Morocco next week to discuss the plans, the State Department announced.
Note: Sudan formally joined the Abrahamic Agreements on Wednesday and signed the declaration signed by the UAE and Bahrain in the White House in September. From the US side, the statement was signed by Finance Minister Steven Mnuchin, who visited Khartoum today.