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Obama seeks Rabat role in Mideast peace talks
Morocco, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and a good friend of the US, can play a role in bringing peace to the troubled Middle Eastern region, US President Barack Obama says
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Morocco, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and a good friend of the US, can play a role in bringing peace to the troubled Middle Eastern region, US President Barack Obama says.
“I hope Morocco will be a leader in bridging gaps between Israel and the Arab world,” Obama said in a message sent to Moroccan King Mohammed VI. The contents of
the letter were published by Moroccan official news agency Maghreb Arab Press [MAP] last week on its website.
A copy of MAP report was made available to The Jakarta Post by the Moroccan Embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday.
In his message, Obama asked the Moroccan king to use his position as the chairman of Al Quds Committee to achieve “a comprehensive peace that includes a two-state solution and an early resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict”, the MAP reported.
But the question is whether Israel, especially under the hawkish government of Benjamin Netanyahu, will engage in negotiations to achieve the peace in the region.
The Moroccan king also received kudos from Obama for his efforts to improve interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue and build the relationships that the world needed to face present challenges.
Obama also emphasized that Israel has to “stop settlements, dismantle outposts, and remove
roadblocks”.
Contradicting Obama’s remarks, Reuters reported, quoting an Israeli newspaper from Jerusalem, on Wednesday that Israel had won an agreement from Washington for the continued construction of 2,500 housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, despite US calls for a freeze.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the United States and Israel have been trying to find common ground on the sensitive settlement issue, but he had no comment on the unsourced front-page report of a deal in the Maariv daily.
The report followed a briefing by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Netanyahu on his talks in London on Monday with US envoy George Mitchell on ending a rift with Washington over its demand for a settlement freeze.
US officials were not immediately available for comment.
In his letter, Obama urged Palestinians to continue strengthening their security forces to counter terrorism and reform their institutions to build a Palestinian state.
According to the MAP, Obama also asked Arab states to provide political and financial support to Palestinian Authority.
Morocco maintains good relations with the US.
“Yes we have very good relations with the US. That’s why President Obama sent a message to our King,” Moroccan Embassy’s counselor Mostafa Nakhlaoui said.
