The Abraham Accords were initially sold by their architects as a step forward for regional tolerance and prosperity. Three years on, it has become apparent that the agreements have not served this purpose. Instead, they have enabled Washington to bring the normalising Gulf states into closer strategic alignment with Israel, and elevate both sides as joint executors of its regional interests, as it looks to divert its attention to what it considered more pressing issues outside the region. The Gulf states and Israel have benefitted from the new bilateral economic and military ties, leaving the Palestinians increasingly isolated and diplomatically weakened.
What of the Accords in the wake of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war? The Biden administration has continued to sell Saudi normalisation as the key to unlocking a broader peace process. The aim of this paper is to reflect on the limits of normalisation in delivering a sustainable regional peace. It will reflect on how the expansion of normalisation has effectively replaced the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the hierarchy of the United States Middle East policy, the centering of the Gulf stats as intermediaries in this process, and the implications of this shift for prospects of a lasting settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.
International Relations/Affairs
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