Negev Summit Allies to Meet in Morocco in June, Renamed ’Prosperity Forum’

Citing Israeli officials, Haaretz reports that the second edition of the forum of the five allies to Israel, which are Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, the United States, Bahrain, should bring together the foreign ministers of these countries in Morocco on June 25. The postponement of the event is also explained by a disagreement between Washington and Rabat. The wish expressed by Nasser Bourita during the very first edition of the Negev Forum was that the foreign ministers meet in Dakhla, in the Sahara. A proposal that did not receive the approval of the Biden administration. It insisted that the meeting take place on territory that is not diplomatically controversial.

The Negev Forum was created last year. Yair Lapid was still Foreign Minister. The first meeting of the foreign ministers of the forum was held in March at the Sde Boker kibbutz, located in the center of the Negev desert in southern Israel, a place that inspired the name of the forum. But according to various media sources, Arab participating countries have asked Israel and the United States to consider renaming the event, so that it is no longer specifically associated with the Hebrew state. Washington has expressed the same request.