New Country to Join Abraham Accords, US Envoy Announces
The United States is expected to announce on November 6 that an additional country will join the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements under which several nations have normalized relations with Israel, according to President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, Witkoff stated,
“I'm flying back to Washington tonight because we're going to announce, tonight, another country coming into the Abraham Accords.”
When asked which country would be joining, he responded to Fox News interviewer Bret Baier,
“I don't know if it's out yet.”
Kazakhstan Reportedly the New Member
The Axios news site reported that the country joining the Accords is Kazakhstan, a Central Asian republic with longstanding diplomatic ties to Israel. Kazakhstan is said to be joining to help “reinvigorate” the Abraham Accords. The president of Kazakhstan is among five Central Asian leaders scheduled to meet President Trump at the White House in November.
Background of the Abraham Accords
- During President Trump’s first term, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020.
- Saudi Arabia had been in discussions to normalize ties with Israel, which would be historic given it hosts Islam’s two holiest sites.
- However, Saudi Arabia postponed normalization following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza after Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023.
- Saudi Arabia maintains that normalization cannot proceed without progress toward an independent Palestinian state, a position opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Significance of the Accords
The Abraham Accords represent a major realignment in Middle East diplomacy, with new nations joining to foster peace and cooperation with Israel.
“Saudi Arabia has long insisted it cannot normalize ties without progress toward an independent Palestinian state.”
Author's note: The expansion of the Abraham Accords highlights ongoing shifts in regional diplomacy, with Kazakhstan’s participation marking a new phase of engagement with Israel.