Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“I welcome the news that Israel and Morocco have normalized relations. This is an important step in the region, and I am looking forward to seeing the fruits of this new relationship between two of America’s close partners.

“At the same time, I am concerned this announcement upends a credible, internationally supported UN process to address the territorial dispute over Western Sahara, which successive administrations of both parties have supported. Casting aside legitimate multilateral avenues of conflict resolution only empowers countries like Russia and China to continue trampling on international rules and norms and rewards those who violate borders and the rights of free peoples. I call on all parties in North Africa to exercise restraint, refrain from violence and continue to work toward a just and lasting solution.

“As four more Arab countries have now shown that the future of the region is found in a path toward peace with Israel, I urge Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table and recommit to a sustainable, peaceful two state-solution.”

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