The Abraham Accords — named after the biblical figure Abraham who is considered the founding father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam — weremediated by the US during President Donald Trump’s first term (2017-2021) in office. They aim to normalize relations between Israel and various Arab and Muslim nations.
The Abraham Accords stipulate that signatory parties aim to foster peace and seek to engage in dialogue and cooperation in science, art, medicine and trade. The agreement, however, is short and remains rather vague, lacking any detailed measures.
Trump has now called on further countries to sign the Abraham Accords Declaration. His appeal comes as talks continue to on how to end the Iran war.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump named Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan as potential new signatories, though he admitted some countries may be hesitant to join. That said, Trump expects “most [states] should be ready, willing.”
He continued to say Saudi Arabia and Qatar should sign immediately and claimed states refusing to join show “bad intention.”
Trump painted a rosy picture of the region, brushing over existing rivalries and downright animosities.
According to Trump, signing the Abraham Accords would create a “Middle East [that] would be United, Powerful, and Economically Strong, like perhaps no other area, anywhere in the World!” He added that if Iran were to sign up, “it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition.”
What do the Abraham Accords entail?
In 2020, the Trump government mediated the Abraham Accords to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco as well as Sudan, facilitating a historic rapprochement.
Last year, the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan also joined the framework, although it has already maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992.
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The Abraham Accords are considered the first step towards regional normalization since the peace treaties signed between Isreal and Egypt in 1979 and the agreement struck with Jordan in 1994. Supporters of the Abraham Accords point to growing regional initiatives and trade with partner countries. Indeed, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a number of deals, including a five-year agreement to share agricultural know-how.
The Abraham framework has been viewed as a diplomatic breakthrough, dispelling the prior assumption that regional normalization is only possible after the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved and a two-state solution implemented.
Some observers, however, criticize this very fact. The Abraham Accords “removed one of the few sources of leverage Palestinians had in their already highly asymmetrical conflict with Israel,” writes Khaled Elgindy in Foreign Affairs.
Decoupling the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the framework “eliminated some of the last remaining incentives Israel had to end its occupation of Palestinian territory or otherwise acknowledge Palestinian rights,” Elgindy argues.
How realistic is it that other countries will join the framework?
It is unlikely that any new countries will join the Abraham Accords in the near future.
Saudi Arabia, for example, continues to make the normalization of relations with Israel dependent on concrete progress towards creating a Palestinian state.
Qatar on the other hand sees itself as a neutral regional mediator, which rules out signing up to the framework for political reasons. Moreover, Qatar maintains ties with Hamas, which the US, Germany, the EU and others classify as a terrorist organization. Qatar also portrays itself as a supporter of the Palestinian cause.
Hardly anyone believes Iran could join the Abraham Accords, as its hostility towards Israel forms a central pillar of its state doctrine.
This article was translated from German
