Moroccan Foreign Minister: Algeria’s Hostility Unrelated to Israel Ties

Interviewed by Independent Arabia, on the sidelines of the work of the Arab League summit, held on November 1 and 2 in Algiers, the Moroccan Foreign Minister stated that Algerian hostility is not related to Morocco’s relations with Israel. "Algeria’s position towards the kingdom is not related to our relationship with Israel," he said. According to his explanations, it is simply a pretext and it could have been credible "if Algiers had acted the same way with Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates or Egypt, who have had longer-standing relations with the Hebrew state," added Nasser Bourita.

And to wonder: "We cannot explain this position by the bilateral relations maintained with [Israel]. Especially since if the Palestinian state has maintained its ambassador in Morocco and has not taken a position, would Algeria be more committed to the Palestinian cause than the Palestinians themselves?"

The head of Moroccan diplomacy also recalled that the borders between Morocco and Algeria have been closed since 1994, i.e. more than 27 years ago.