Morocco closes liaison bureaus in Rabat and Tel Aviv

Morocco decided to close down the Israeli liaison bureau in Rabat and the Moroccan liaison bureau in Tel Aviv, it was officially announced here Monday afternoon.

A statement by the Moroccan ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation said the decision was made "in view of the failure of the peace process following the inhuman acts perpetrated for weeks by the Israeli forces against Palestinians and the resort to the machinery of war to kill innocent civilians,."

The Move, goes the communiqué comes in the wake of the

"serious situation triggered by the Israeli government in the Palestinian territories and its intransigent attitude, as translated by the announcement Sunday of the interruption of the peace process."

"Given Morocco's responsibilities and commitments within the Al-Quds committee chaired by King Mohammed VI," the statement said, "it has been decided to close down the Israeli liaison bureau in Rabat, as it has been decided to close down the Moroccan liaison bureau in Tel Aviv."

The statement recalled that the bureau was opened "at Morocco's initiative to back the peace process, through the means of dialogue and understanding and not through the language of force and arrogance, to reach a fair and comprehensive peace."

The liaison bureaus in Rabat and Tel Aviv were opened in September 1994. Morocco had called back the head of its liaison bureau in Tel Aviv for consultation in early days of the Al Aqsa Intifadah.