it makes sense for Morocco to grasp the present opportunity rather than wait for the new administration
The Israel-Morocco peace agreement announced last week comes as a real surprise, not because it’s Morocco — which has a history of cooperating with Israel — but because of the timing. Despite there being only a month until the Biden administration takes power, the king of Morocco chose to clinch a deal with the outgoing president rather than wait for the new president to be inaugurated to normalize ties with Israel.
The logic is clear, though. Trump’s offer, which included American recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, is a far sweeter deal than any prior administration was willing to make — or than Biden would have offered. Under the circumstances, it makes sense for Morocco to grasp the present opportunity rather than wait for the new administration.
In reality, neither Morocco nor Israel had to make any concessions — the only concession was made by the United States. The credit goes to Jared Kushner and his team, which continues to work diligently on this deal and others, some of which may bear fruit even before January 20.
“This agreement is the product of years of work by the president, Jared, myself, and the team,” Avi Berkowitz, special representative for international negotiations, told Mishpacha. “It creates a direct line from northwest Africa to the eastern edge of the Gulf of countries that recognize Israel. Considering the history of the two countries, it certainly has a personal component to it. The enthusiasm spans generations.”
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