Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has angered Moroccans during a televised interview where he held up a map showing the disputed region of Western Sahara, separated from the map of Morocco. Netanyahu appeared in an interview broadcast on Thursday evening on the official French channels "LCI" and "TF1," holding a map of the Middle East and North Africa that depicted Morocco without the territory of Western Sahara.
According to the Moroccan website "Hespress," this is not the first time that the Israeli Prime Minister has provoked Moroccan sentiments, as a similar map excluding Western Sahara appeared during his reception of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The recent incident renewed the outrage and discontent among social media users who condemned these Israeli actions.
It is worth noting that in July, Israel announced its recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in a message from Netanyahu to the Moroccan monarch. A statement from the royal palace indicated that the United Nations and regional and international organizations recognizing Israel as a member, as well as all countries with diplomatic relations with Israel, would be informed of this decision. Netanyahu emphasized in his message that Israel is positively considering "opening a consulate in the city of Dakhla" as part of consolidating this state decision. Morocco controls 80 percent of Western Sahara and proposes to grant it autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front calls for a referendum on self-determination.
