The Israel-Morocco peace deal is roiling Western Sahara

ISRAEL’S FORMALUAEUAE ties with the Arab world now extend from the United Arab Emirates () in the east to Morocco in the west. On December 10th President Donald Trump announced the latest breakthrough in his diplomatic push on behalf of the Jewish state. Morocco, the Arab world’s oldest monarchy, will become the fourth Arab state in as many months to establish diplomatic relations with Israel (following the , Bahrain and Sudan).The agreement is a win for Israel, and also for Morocco. As part of the deal, Mr Trump recognised Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara. The territory, slightly larger than Britain, is also claimed by the Polisario Front, a nationalist movement backed by Algeria. Mr Trump’s intervention comes amid provocations by both sides that risk restarting a war that ended three decades ago.