Spanish – The indomitable and controversial personality of President Donald Trump is not in dispute. Neither is the pacifist legacy of his term, which has been noted for not having started a war. On the contrary, he has achieved historic agreements that aim at the pacification of the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan are joined by the furthest one from the Maghreb: Morocco, along with the territory of Western Sahara. All now maintain relations with the State of Israel thanks to the efforts of the Republican leader.
As usual, Donald Trump used his Twitter account to make a prominent announcement. It is about the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel, as well as the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a non-self-governing territory claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, whose recognition as a nation is limited.
“Today, I signed a proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal is the ONLY basis for a just and lasting solution for enduring peace and prosperity,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Today, I signed a proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara. Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal is the ONLY basis for a just and lasting solution for enduring peace and prosperity!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2020
The U.S. president immediately added in another message that Morocco joins the list of countries normalizing relations with Israel during his administration.
“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!”
Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2020
A historical debt
The decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara is the result of reciprocal action. Donald Trump recalled in this regard that, in 1777, Morocco recognized the United States of America.
Additionally, Trump added in the proclamation that Washington considers that “an independent Saharawi state is not a realistic option for resolving the conflict.” For this reason, he stated that the “only viable solution” is genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, reported EFE.
“To facilitate progress toward this aim, the United States will encourage economic and social development with Morocco, including in the Western Sahara territory, and to that end will open a consulate in the Western Sahara territory, in Dakhla, to promote economic and business opportunities for the region,” the document states.
The White House also revealed in a statement that President Donald Trump spoke this Thursday with the Moroccan King, Mohamed VI. In that conversation, an agreement was reached for Morocco and Israel to establish full diplomatic relations, including economic and cultural cooperation with which they seek to promote stability in the region.
According to EFE, a high-ranking U.S. government official told journalists on Thursday that, through this pact, Morocco and Israel will soon open direct commercial flights and, “in the near future,” open their respective diplomatic offices.
The Abraham Agreements
On September 15, the White House was the scene of a historic event that began to redefine the balance in the Middle East with the signing of the so-called Abraham Accords. President Donald Trump hosted the event in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain sealed a peace pact with Israel. In this way, they agreed to mutual recognition and normalization of relations.
The following month, the Republican leader scored another diplomatic victory when he announced that he had succeeded in getting Sudan to follow in the footsteps of the UAE and Bahrain. The African country agreed to normalize relations with Israel, and in return, Washington excluded Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. With this agreement, Sudan will also be able to access new channels of international support for its development, such as credits from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
There are four countries in the Arab world with which the Jewish State of Israel has agreed to make peace under the mediation of President Donald Trump. No such agreement has been reached since 1994. In that year, Israel signed the peace treaty with Jordan, which became the second Arab country to recognize the Jewish State. The first was Egypt in 1979.
In other latitudes
Efforts to achieve world peace also reached the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe. President Trump highlighted his role as a mediator in the reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo, achieved in early September, following the 1998 war.
Two meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un confirmed Trump’s pacifist character. Although the long-awaited pact for the denuclearization of North Korea was not achieved, the winds of war dissipated.
Norwegian Congressman Christian Tybring-Gjedde appreciated all these efforts to nominate this year President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. For the jury, Barack Obama did more merit to obtain this award in 2009. However, Obama went down in history as the president who kept the United States at war the longest.