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]
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