New Country to Join Abraham Accords: US Envoy
The United States is expected to announce on November 6 that another country will join the Abraham Accords, a framework under which several nations have 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 which country it was, he replied,
“I don't know if it's out yet.”
Speculations on New Member
The Axios news site reported that the new member is likely Kazakhstan, a Central Asian republic that has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel for decades. Kazakhstan is said to be joining in a bid to “reinvigorate” the Abraham Accords.
Context and Background
- Kazakhstan’s president is among five Central Asian leaders meeting President Trump at the White House in November.
- During Trump’s first term, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020.
- Saudi Arabia was engaged in normalization talks but withdrew after the outbreak of war in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
Saudi Arabia's Position
The Gulf kingdom, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, has insisted it cannot normalize relations with Israel without progress toward an independent Palestinian state—a goal long opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Summary
The Abraham Accords are poised to expand with a new member, likely Kazakhstan, highlighting ongoing regional shifts despite setbacks in Saudi-Israeli relations due to the conflict in Gaza and Palestinian statehood concerns.