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Moroccan Ambassador to Qatar, Mohamed Stry, said on Saturday that Morocco’s recent decision is “a resumption of previous relations with Israel, not a normalization,” adding that these relations “will not be at the expense of the Palestinian cause, as said King Mohammed VI to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “
Speaking to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, Strey stressed that “Morocco places the Palestinian question in the range of the Moroccan Sahara, and that the Moroccan diplomatic maneuver was aimed at consolidating the Moroccan Sahara,” and noted that “Morocco will not give up defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. ” .
The Moroccan ambassador said that Morocco’s relations with Israel “have a background that should be mentioned, especially when we know that Moroccans, whether Jewish or Muslim, lived together in tolerance in Morocco, and the discussion here is about the Jewish religion and not about the Zionist movement. “
He noted that “King Muhammad VI has a special status, as he is the Commander of the Faithful, and this includes Muslims and non-Muslims,” and explained that “the Moroccan constitution refers to the preservation and cohesion of national identity, and this includes the Arab and Amazigh identity, the Hassaniya and the Hebrews, and the Moroccan Jews. ” In Morocco, they have places of worship and cultural places, and they have special courts. He speaks of the particularity of Morocco, which has a large “community” in Israel, whose number exceeds 700,000 Moroccan Jews.
The Moroccan ambassador referred to “the historical and political roles that Morocco previously played in convergent views, since King Hassan II had many political initiatives to achieve peace, and this role is now being played by King Mohammed VI, and it is appreciated and respected, and it is in harmony with Moroccan foreign policy. ” .
Ambassador Stry: King Mohammed VI affirmed his interest in placing the Palestinians in light of Moroccan developments and firm positions towards the two-state solution and the status of Jerusalem
He said: “It is not possible now to speak of normalization, since what is happening is the reestablishment of relations with Israel, since Morocco previously had a liaison office in Rabat that was opened in 1998 and remained operational until 2002, and Israel it also had a liaison office in Rabat, which was also closed. ” A step that was also followed by a group of Arab countries, and what is being done is to complete the previous relations ”.
Regarding the direct air route that will connect Morocco with Israel, Ambassador Strey said that “it will mainly serve the Moroccan Jewish community, which usually returns to Morocco in summer, in addition to serving tourists arriving in Morocco. There will also be a exchange of cooperation in the economic and technological fields “. “.
The Moroccan ambassador highlighted the importance of King Mohammed VI’s telephone conversation with the Palestinian president, during which he highlighted “concern about the situation of the Palestinians in light of Moroccan developments and firm positions towards the two-state solution and the status of Jerusalem, who was present in contact with the Palestinian president. “
Regarding the implications of the United States’ position on the Sahara issue, the Moroccan ambassador said: “This recognition of Morocco’s total sovereignty over the Sahara region arises as a sovereign decision of a permanent member of the Security Council of the UN, and it is not a declaration or a letter of intent, but a presidential decree signed by the American president, and this is The historical document has its legal force with immediate effect, and it is not a sudden decision, but through a series diplomatic contacts. Furthermore, the decision expressed support for the Moroccan position on the Sahara issue, represented in the support for the autonomy initiative announced in 2007, as a realistic solution.
The Moroccan ambassador reiterated that “the recent US position on the Sahara issue is not a quid pro quo for the restoration of relations between Morocco and Israel, but rather confirmed the initiative presented by Morocco as a realistic solution.” In the desert of Morocco, this consulate will play an important role in the fields of economy and investment. “
Date: 2020-12-12
