New Country to Join Abraham Accords
The United States is expected to announce on November 6 that a new country will join the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements where several nations normalized diplomatic relations with Israel, according to President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Announcement Details
Speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, Witkoff said,
“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 was joining, Witkoff responded to Fox News interviewer Bret Baier,
“I don't know if it's out yet.”
Potential New Member: Kazakhstan
The Axios news site reported that the new entrant is Kazakhstan, a Central Asian republic. Kazakhstan has had diplomatic relations with Israel for many years but is reportedly joining now to help revitalize the Abraham Accords.
Kazakhstan’s president is among five Central Asian leaders scheduled to meet President Trump at the White House in November.
Background on the Abraham Accords
During Trump's first term, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords.
Saudi Arabia has been in discussions with the U.S. about normalizing ties with Israel, a significant move considering it hosts Islam's two holiest sites. However, the kingdom halted talks after the October 2023 Gaza conflict following Hamas's attack on Israel.
Saudi officials have maintained that normalization cannot proceed without progress toward Palestinian statehood, a stance that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently opposed.
Author's summary: A new country, likely Kazakhstan, is poised to join the Abraham Accords, potentially revitalizing these diplomatic agreements amid ongoing regional complexities.