Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued an apology after a map displayed during a French TV interview excluded the Western Sahara from Morocco's borders, causing an uproar in the North African kingdom. The incident has highlighted the sensitive nature of territorial disputes in the region and Israel’s stance on Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
#Netanyahu #Israel #Morocco #WesternSahara #TerritorialDisputes #Sovereignty #Apology #MapControversy #NorthAfrica #GazaConflict #Rafah #AbrahamAccords #USPolicy #InternationalRelations #MiddleEastPolitics
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#Netanyahu #Israel #Morocco #WesternSahara #TerritorialDisputes #Sovereignty #Apology #MapControversy #NorthAfrica #GazaConflict #Rafah #AbrahamAccords #USPolicy #InternationalRelations #MiddleEastPolitics
~PR.152~ED.101~HT.95~
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has landed himself in controversy once again.
00:29 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued an apology after a map displayed during
00:35 a French TV interview excluded the Western Sahara from Morocco's borders, causing an
00:41 uproar in the North African kingdom.
00:43 The incident has highlighted the sensitive nature of territorial disputes in the region
00:47 and Israel's stance on Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
00:52 In a statement, Netanyahu's office reaffirmed Israel's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty
00:58 over Western Sahara, a policy that has been in place since 2023.
01:02 The Prime Minister's office clarified that the map used during the interview was not
01:06 updated to reflect this recognition, leading to the misunderstanding.
01:11 "Israel's policy is unequivocal and has not changed.
01:15 Israel recognizes Morocco's sovereignty in Western Sahara," stressed the statement
01:19 from Netanyahu's office.
01:22 Despite the apology from the Israeli government, many Moroccans remain skeptical about the
01:26 situation, viewing Netanyahu's use of a divided Moroccan map as a deliberate provocation against
01:33 the North African kingdom's territorial integrity.
01:37 The timing of the divided map controversy also intensified suspicions as to it coincides
01:42 with Morocco's frequent statements echoing condemnation and rejection of Israel's blatant
01:48 aggressions targeting civilians in Gaza.
01:50 Notably, Morocco on Thursday renewed its concerns about the situation, particularly Israel's
01:55 merciless campaign in Rafa.
01:57 Morocco also described the decision of Spain, Ireland and Norway to recognize Palestine's
02:02 statehood as an important step.
02:05 The Western Sahara dispute dates back to 1975, when Spain, the colonial ruler, withdrew from
02:10 the territory.
02:11 This withdrawal led to a 15-year war between Morocco and the Polisario Front, a movement
02:17 seeking independence for the region.
02:19 Today, Morocco controls nearly 80% of the Western Sahara and considers it an integral
02:25 part of its territory, rich in phosphates and fisheries.
02:30 The issue of Western Sahara gained international attention as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords
02:35 brokered by the Trump administration, which saw the normalization of relations between
02:39 Israel and several Arab countries, including Morocco.
02:44 As part of these agreements, the US recognized Morocco's unilateral annexation of Western
02:49 Sahara, a stance that has not been reversed by the Biden administration despite ongoing
02:54 international pressure.
02:56 [Music]