What are the Abraham Accords?

Donald Trump has again surprised his followers by posting on social media that several allies in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, should normalise ties with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords.

So what is this about?

In 2020, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke a long-standing taboo in the Arab world by signing the US-mediated Abraham Accords, normalising diplomatic relations with Israel, despite the issue of Palestinian statehood remaining unresolved. The deal allowed the two countries to deepen relations across a number of economic sectors, as well as in defence. Months after those two Arab nations signed on, Morocco and Sudan also joined the accords.

But several factors have changed since the original version of the pact – signed with fanfare at the White House during Trump’s first term as president – which makes it unlikely that Arab Gulf countries would now join.

Israel has waged a two-year war against Palestinians in Gaza, escalated its assault on the occupied West Bank and bombed six countries in the region this year, including key Gulf Arab mediator Qatar.

A survey last year by the Washington Institute, a pro-Israel think tank in the US, found that 81 percent of Saudi respondents had a negative view of the prospect of normalising relations with Israel.

Saudi Arabia has also repeatedly asserted its commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions recognition of Israel on resolving the plight of Palestinians, and establishing a Palestinian state.

-Al Jazeera