Morocco’s foreign minister is urging the Biden administration to maintain an agreement by President Trump to establish relations with Israel, according to a report.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the deal, which was sealed by Trump in early December, would be a step toward resuming diplomatic relations with Israel, Axios reported on Wednesday.
The agreement states that Morocco agrees to establish relations with Israel in exchange for the US agreeing to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara.
“We hope that the next administration will continue this positive dynamic and nurture what we have built because it was done for peace,” Bourita told Axios. “What we have here is a package that was signed and the first commitment that everyone made was to defend, promote and update that package.”
Morocco and Israel are worried the deal will wear down if President-elect Biden plans to get it back after he takes office in January.
Biden has not publicly expressed whether he agrees or disagrees with the Trump deal.
Trump described the deal as a “great breakthrough” that would bring peace to the Middle East.
“Another HISTORICAL breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations: a great breakthrough for peace in the Middle East! ” he tweeted to the president on December 10th.
Morocco joins Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates to put aside decades-long hostilities against Israel in hopes of stabilizing the Middle East and North Africa.