Algeria: Israel Backing Morocco Over Western Sahara a 'Flagrant Violation' of International Law

Prime Minister Ayman bin Abdul Rahman - AAWSAT AR
Prime Minister Ayman bin Abdul Rahman - AAWSAT AR
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Algeria: Israel Backing Morocco Over Western Sahara a 'Flagrant Violation' of International Law

Prime Minister Ayman bin Abdul Rahman - AAWSAT AR
Prime Minister Ayman bin Abdul Rahman - AAWSAT AR

Algeria on Thursday denounced Israel's backing of Morocco's "claimed sovereignty" over the disputed Western Sahara region as a "flagrant violation" of international law.

On Monday, the royal cabinet in Rabat said Israel had decided to "recognize Morocco's sovereignty" over the mineral-rich desert region, citing a letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The decision "constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, UN Security Council decisions and General Assembly resolutions on the Western Sahara question", the foreign ministry in Algiers said in a statement.

It "shows agreement between the occupiers' policies and their complicity in violating international law", and encroaches upon the "legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and of the Sahrawi people to self-determination".

The dispute dates back to 1975, when colonial ruler Spain withdrew from the territory, sparking a 15-year war between Morocco and the Polisario which seeks the territory's independence.

Rabat controls nearly 80 percent of Western Sahara and sees the entire region, home to abundant phosphates and fisheries, as its sovereign territory.

The Polisario continues to demand a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination, which was agreed in a 1991 ceasefire accord but has still not taken place.

On Wednesday, the Polisario slammed Israel's decision as "null and void" and said it would "only reinforce the determination of the Sahrawi people to pursue their national struggle on several fronts".



Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
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Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)

Lebanon remained on high political alert amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, as officials worked to assess and contain the potential repercussions of the conflict on the country’s fragile stability.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian emphasized the importance of Lebanon distancing itself from the conflict.

President Joseph Aoun is closely monitoring the unfolding situation and received briefings on the latest developments and the regional and international diplomatic efforts underway to defuse it.

Aoun is in continuous contact with security leaders, in line with the outcomes of a national security meeting held at the Baabda Palace on Saturday, said a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The president also oversaw efforts to facilitate the return of Lebanese nationals stranded abroad after airlines canceled flights to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport and neighboring countries closed their airspace due to the rising regional tensions.

Saudi Ambassador Bukhari met with Grand Mufti Derian at Dar al-Fatwa to extend Eid al-Adha greetings and congratulate him on performing the Hajj upon invitation from the Saudi royal protocol.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss Lebanese and regional affairs.

According to a statement from Dar al-Fatwa’s media office, the officials stressed the need for Lebanon to disassociate itself from the Iran-Israel conflict.

They underscored the urgent need for intensified Arab and international diplomatic efforts to curb the language of war and restore rational dialogue. They warned of the dangerous political, economic, and environmental consequences the continued fighting could have on the region.

Despite ongoing Israeli attacks in parts of Lebanon and repeated violations of UN Resolution 1701, the country, they said, must pursue security, peace, and stability.