A recent story published in Jeune Afrique media outlet shed light on Israel-Algeria negotiations dating back to the past century, specifically in 1999 when ex-President Bouteflika promised to open a consulate in Tel-Aviv, which—had it occurred–would have profoundly impacted the current state of Arab-Israeli relations.
As widely reported, Israel has officially acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has been invited on a state visit to Morocco. For some, this “expected” conclusion has stirred heated disagreement. The Polisario Front has called the declaration “null and void,” while Algerian diplomacy has described it as a breach of international law.
Looking back, Algeria was readying itself for a genuine reconciliation with Morocco, or even with Israel, in 1999. It all started with the election of a new Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
In Morocco, Hassan II saw this shift as a real opportunity to finally resolve the Sahara issue, which has poisoned relations between Rabat and Algiers. Bouteflika was not opposed to the autonomy proposal for resolving the conflict, which had been ongoing since 1975.
Bouteflika did not disguise his intent to assume a prominent role in this matter once becoming President. He claimed in front of Algerian diplomats in May, 1999–less than two months after his election–at an aside at the State home Djenane El Mihaq in Algiers, “You are guaranteed that in six months, I will have ended the question of Sahara.”
On June 21, Bouteflika met with Moroccan Interior Minister Driss Basri to address the Sahara dispute, reopening the land border closed since 1994, and normalizing relations between the neighboring countries. Both leaders were optimistic about a meeting between Algerian President Bouteflika and King Hassan II in July 1999. The time for reconciliation between the two countries and peoples had arrived, but fate had other plans.
Moroccan King Hassan II died in Rabat after a reign of 38 years. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is a native of Oujda (eastern Morocco) who is profoundly ingrained in Moroccan culture and monarchical customs.
Bouteflika announced national mourning and flew to Rabat to attend the funeral. He was informed on the plane of an invitation extended to him to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who was also in Morocco for Hassan II’s death. Bouteflika conveyed no issues, reaffirming his commitment to tearing down taboos and supporting reconciliation.
The Algerian President received a cordial greeting from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the royal palace in Rabat. The Israeli Prime Minister questioned Algeria’s choice to step away from the Middle East peace process in order to strengthen relations. Bouteflika responded with official recognition of Palestinian rights and by establishing a Palestinian embassy in Tel Aviv.
Algeria maintained no contact with Israel, which it regarded as a sworn enemy of the Palestinian cause.
Algerian President Bouteflika defied expectations by meeting with an Israeli politician and proposing to open an embassy in Tel Aviv if Israel acknowledged a Palestinian state. This was the first time an Algerian president had shaken hands with a top Israeli official who commanded soldiers during Arab-Israeli clashes. During his first time in Paris, Bouteflika encountered Israeli ambassador Shimon Peres in secrecy, thanks to the help of a Franco-Israeli doctor in France.
The article concluded stating that a meeting between an Algerian leader and an Israeli official would be impossible and inconceivable today, just as negotiations between Morocco and Algeria seemingly elicit futility today with respect to the resolution of the Sahara issue.