Rabat – Algeria, which harshly criticizes Morocco for restoring ties with Israel in 2020, is now signaling a dramatic change of tone.
In a dramatic departure from its once “untouchable” stance, Algeria’s ambassador to Washington, Sabri Boukadoum, declared that “everything is possible” regarding a potential normalization with Israel.
The Algerian envoy made his remarks in an interview featured by the Stimson Center on November 18.
In the interview, he told Hafed Al-Ghwell, director of the North Africa Program at the Stimson Center, that as soon as “there is the recognition of the Palestinian state, the right to statehood for the as the president has said in the Gaza plan, the right to statehood for the Palestinians, everything is possible.”
Despite denying ties, several reports show how Algeria maintained significant trade with Israel.
In February, Israeli outlet i24 News reported that Algeria ranks fourth among Arab countries exporting goods to Israel.
Read Also: Algeria Among Top Arab Exporters to Israel Amid Anti-Normalization Claims
The statement comes as a break from years of claims and ideological posturing by the Algerian regime that used everything possible to criticize Morocco’s sovereign decision to re-establish ties with Tel Aviv in December 2020.
Algiers used the decisions as a pillar to strengthen its rhetoric to attack Rabat, to present itself as the last “pure” defender of the Palestinian cause.
The rhetoric is also to feed its “self-determination” claims over Western Sahara, as Algeria has long attempted to draw a line and comparison between the Western Sahara and the Palestinian cause.
Algeria, always in denial
Algeria supports, finances, arms, and hosts the Polisario, a separatist group claiming independence in Western Sahara.
In the past decade, Algeria’s regime has been isolated as international support for Morocco’s position has significantly grown, with over 120 countries describing the Autonomy Plan as the only viable political solution to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Resolution 2797 of October 31 this year doubled down on the momentum, putting the final nail in the coffin that buried the self-determination and referendum options that Algeria bet on to challenge Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Despite the resolution that publicly and explicitly endorsed the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the genuine political solution, Algeria’s regime continues to challenge the UN-led political process by refusing to shoulder its direct responsibility and by claiming itself as merely an observer to the dispute.
The newly adopted resolution text allowed no room for these claims, clearly identifying Algeria as one of the parties to the dispute, and urging the regime to engage in the upcoming UN-led roundtable talks to contribute to finding a mutually acceptable solution under the autonomy framework.
In the Stimson Center interview, Boukadoum renewed his country’s position, saying that “whatever anybody else will say, so that we will not depart from this position, definitely not.”
Boukadoum made his remarks after questions on how Algeria would react if it were “pressured” to join the Abraham Accords.
He alleged that US President Donald Trump, in his declaration in December 2020, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, said that a solution to the dispute “has to go through negotiations… through negotiations between Morocco, it was not mentioned, but he said between the parties.”
The claims are in stark contradiction to the US’ frequent statements in which Washington, including Trump, have explicitly reaffirmed support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces. The US also views the Autonomy Plan as the only basis to end the dispute.
In denial and in line with his country’s stance, Boukadoum also criticized the UN Security Council members for supporting the Autonomy Plan.
“I’m still wondering how you can support something that you don’t know what it is exactly. We don’t know.”
