Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana revealed during a visit to Rabat on Thursday that "Israel will soon announce its support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara region." He stated in a press interview after talks with Moroccan House of Representatives President Rachid Talbi Alami, "I fully understand the importance of recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara... Israel should move towards the goal of recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara as the United States, our closest ally, has done." He added, "Serious discussions are currently ongoing in our government on this topic, and I believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will announce this decision in the near future."
A report from Reuters on Wednesday noted that Israel is considering supporting Morocco in the Western Sahara issue, with discussions taking place within the Israeli National Security Council. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, demands an independent state in the Western Sahara region. In 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Morocco's rule over the area in exchange for partial upgrades in relations with Israel. The conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front has been frozen since 1991 under a UN-backed ceasefire agreement that included a plan for a referendum to resolve the status of the territory. However, the rules for the referendum were never agreed upon, and the UN Security Council has stopped referencing the referendum as an option in its resolutions, instead urging both parties to reach a compromise and work towards a "mutually acceptable solution."
