President Donald Trump’s recent insistence on expanding the Abraham Accords by involving several Arab and Muslim countries has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles. His proposition involves these nations normalizing their diplomatic relations with Israel as a condition for ending the conflict with Iran.
While Trump’s demand might seem ambitious, it hasn’t garnered the expected response. Many countries he named already maintain ties with Israel or have expressed no interest in his proposal. Moreover, the Israeli government, which stands to gain, has remained silent.
Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described the demand as “gaslighting,” suggesting desperation from Trump to achieve a notable foreign policy victory.
In the context of ongoing peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, a senior Arab official involved remarked on the absurdity of the demand. Some countries, considering their mediation efforts, expect gratitude rather than additional expectations from the U.S.
Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf nations have already faced repercussions from the regional tensions. They are wary of additional political burdens, especially when it involves normalizing ties with a nation like Israel, which remains unpopular in the Muslim world. Additionally, while Iranian counterattacks have affected several Gulf states, they did not take part in the attacks led by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly emphasized that expanding the Abraham Accords has been one of Trump’s priorities. Trump’s recent communication with Middle Eastern leaders highlighted a desire for them to join the accords, even suggesting they could welcome Iran into the agreement.
The Abraham Accords, a hallmark of Trump’s earlier presidency, established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations like the UAE and Bahrain starting in 2020. These accords symbolize a significant regional shift, where former adversaries of Israel now view Iran’s power expansion with concern.
Despite this, two Middle Eastern diplomats reported a lack of pressure from the U.S. administration to join the accords. The ongoing war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s attacks in 2023, has sparked widespread outrage against Israel, complicating the dynamics for potential new signatories to the accords.
During a recent statement, Trump hinted at reconsidering a peace deal with Iran if the involved nations refuse the accords. However, no formal response has come from the countries or Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an advocate for the accords’ expansion.
An Israeli official clarified that the country remains committed to expanding peace, viewing Trump as a key promoter of these prospects. Analysts suggest that the lukewarm reaction from Israel signals a broader diplomatic tendency to sidestep some of Trump’s proposals and comments.
Yoel Guzansky from the Israel Institute for National Security Studies noted that Trump’s comments are often transient. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who remain undecided on diplomatic ties with Israel, associate the accords separately from the Iranian conflict. They have indicated diplomatic recognition would depend on Israel’s stance towards Palestinian statehood, a concession that Israel has historically resisted.
Michael Koplow of the Israel Policy Forum pointed out that while Israel favors expanding the accords, intertwining them with unresolved issues, like the Iran conflict, may not align with their interests.