New Country to Join Abraham Accords Announced
The United States plans to reveal on November 6 that another nation will join the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements where several countries established normalized relations with Israel, according to President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Announcement Details
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 about the country's identity, he replied,
"I don't know if it's out yet."
Potential New Member: Kazakhstan
The Axios news outlet reported that the new member could be Kazakhstan, a Central Asian republic that has maintained diplomatic ties with Israel for decades. The move reportedly aims to "reinvigorate" the Abraham Accords. Kazakhstan's president is also scheduled to join four other Central Asian leaders at a meeting with President Trump at the White House in November.
Background of the Abraham Accords
- During Trump's first presidential term, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under these accords.
- Saudi Arabia had been engaged in talks to normalize ties with Israel, marking a historic step due to the kingdom's hosting of Islam's two holiest sites.
- However, Saudi Arabia withdrew from the normalization process after the 2023 Gaza war triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel.
- The kingdom has maintained that normalization depends on progress toward an independent Palestinian state, a condition rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Summary
The inclusion of a new country into the Abraham Accords signals ongoing efforts to expand Middle East peace initiatives despite setbacks in regional diplomacy.