Morocco’s foreign minister announced on Friday that the country will be postponing a highly anticipated summit between Israel and Arab states that have signed the historic “Abraham Accords” peace agreements. The decision to delay the summit until after the summer season comes in the wake of escalating tensions in the West Bank. The move follows Israel’s recent announcement to expand settlement construction in the occupied territory and a deadly Israeli raid on Jenin, resulting in the loss of five lives.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the decision was partly over scheduling but also because of “provocative and unilateral acts” that “undermine peace efforts in the region.” He condemned the Israeli army raid on Jenin, in Palestine’s West Bank, and rejected Israel’s decision to expand settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
Israel said its operation in Jenin was intended to arrest two Palestinians suspected of attacks. It announced the decision to build 1,000 new houses in the Eli settlement in the West Bank in response to a Palestinian gun attack nearby. Morocco is one of four Arab states alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Sudan that moved closer to Israel in 2020 as part of a U.S.-driven diplomatic initiative.
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