Moroccos Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita refused to comment on Israeli press reports claiming Tel Aviv was discussing an agreement with Rabat that would see the US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the foreign committee of the House of Councillors to discuss maritime demarcation laws, Bourita refused to comment on media reports. Regarding Moroccos position on the so-called ‘deal of the century’ which some consultants considered ‘ambiguous’ and requires clarification, Bourita said that the issue of the Sahara is a priority for Morocco. Bourita stressed that the Moroccan position on the Palestinian issue is clear, adding that Palestinians have the right to express their positions and Rabat supports them in this. The FM said he was surprised over criticism regarding authorities position on the US deal, whereas the Palestinian Authority praised the Moroccan position adding: “we should trust our countrys diplomacy.” Reportedly, Morocco’s military bought last week three Israeli-made reconnaissance drones for some $48 million, according to French website Intelligence Online. Meanwhile, political and media sources in Tel Aviv stated that the Israeli government had offered Morocco a political deal in partnership with the US administration, according to which Morocco would obtain recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in exchange for the normalization of Moroccan-Israeli relations. Channel 13 announced that three US and Israeli sources confirmed these reports and indicated that ongoing Israeli efforts have not achieved results yet. The first Israeli offer was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while attending the UN General Assembly meetings in New York in September 2018, when he met with Moroccan Foreign Minister. The report said that the meeting was organized by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and managed by Jewish businessman Yariv Elbaz, who is close to Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Initially, the contacts were impeded after disputes erupted in Israel between the Israeli National Security Council and the Mossad agency headed by Yossi Cohen, who was unaware of these steps. Cohen considered it to be an overstepping of his authority, but Netanyahu resolved the conflict in favor of Ben-Shabbat. Netanyahu wanted to announce the deal before April parliamentary elections to declare it as one of his diplomatic achievements, but media leaks about Ben-Shabbat’s secret visit to Morocco thwarted these efforts. Netanyahu’s aides made several approaches towards Washington over the past year to promote such a deal, but former national security adviser John Bolton was strongly opposed. The report also indicated that the Moroccan government was very unhappy with the gap between Netanyahu’s promises and the results so far, along with advertising relations with Rabat for his own political purposes.