Morocco, Israel and US sign joint declaration

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner led a delegation from Israel to Morocco on Tuesday on the first known direct flight since the two countries agreed to establish full diplomatic ties earlier this month as part of a series of US-brokered normalization accords with Arab countries.

Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, has overseen the diplomatic push that saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalize relations with Israel in historic agreements that also brought them major favors from Washington.

As part of the deal, Morocco, which is home to a small but centuries-old Jewish community and has long welcomed Israeli tourists, secured US recognition of its 1975 annexation of the disputed region of Western Sahara, which is not recognized by the United Nations.

The US decision to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has drawn criticism from the UN as well as American allies in Africa and beyond.

African observers have said it could destabilise the broader region, already struggling against Islamist insurgencies and migrant trafficking.

Israel has traditionally backed the UN position and has not said whether it will join the US in recognising Moroccan control over the area.

Joining Kushner was the head of Israel's delegation, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat.

Both men met with Morocco's King Mohammed VI and other top officials.

The delegations signed a joint declaration pledging to quickly begin direct flights, promote economic cooperation, reopen liaison offices and move toward “full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations”.