On This Day: Israel, UAE, Bahrain sign Abraham Accords in notable Arab normalization agreement

Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain marked on Tuesday six years since the signing of the Abraham Accords, which represent the latest diplomatic development between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

"Six years ago, the Abraham Accords changed the Middle East," said the Foreign Ministry on X/Twitter. "Today, they remain an anchor for the region’s future, building lasting partnerships, creating new opportunities and expanding the circle of peace. Six years on, the future is just beginning."

The US-mediated normalization deal was seen as a step toward normalization with most of its neighbors and aimed the serve as a roadmap for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Since then, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Sudan, and Somaliland decided to join, while the addition of the Saudis was suspended indefinitely after the Hamas-led October 7 massacre and the following war in Gaza.

The current objectives for the accords are focused on the Saudis, with other objectives being the signing of a peace treaty with Lebanon and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the new Syrian government ruled by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

'New chapter to diplomatic cooperation,' Israel's Bahrain envoy says

Israel's Ambassador to Bahrain Sammy Revel commemorated the signing in a social media post.

"On September 15, 2020, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords at the White House, opening a new chapter of diplomatic cooperation and regional partnership," Revel wrote.

"Six years on, Israel–Bahrain relations continue to demonstrate the power of dialogue, trust and shared ambition. Building on our achievements, we can further advance cooperation in security, stability, economic development and innovation, creating new opportunities for our peoples and the wider region," he added.

Ambassador the the UAE Yossi Shelley also commemorated the six years since the signing of the accords and told KAN Reshet Bet that there are high expectations for a new member to join.

"I estimate that it will be within four months to six months," Shelley said, adding that he believes Kuwait will be the next to join the accords following the attacks it suffered from Iran during the last war.

Lebanon will sign Abraham Accords once Hezbollah is gone, Lebanese MP says

Lebanese Sunni MP Fouad Makhzoumi told Middle East 24 at the end of August that Lebanon can join the Abraham Accords once Hezbollah is disarmed and can no longer use the country as a “launching pad” for attacks against Israel.

Makhzoumi, who has previously urged the Lebanese military to demonstrate its willingness to confront Hezbollah’s arms trafficking by establishing a checkpoint in Beirut’s Dahiyah neighborhood, said diplomatic relations and trade with Israel would be possible once “our side, as Lebanese, disarms the militias.”

As it stands, he said, Lebanon has a border that is outside the state’s control, allowing arms to be smuggled into and out of the country.

“I don’t see any reason why we cannot sign peace with Israel,” Makhzoumi said, adding that Lebanon could “achieve” membership in the Abraham Accords.

Another report by Axios from September 5 pointed out that the US has begun developing a post-war strategy aimed at expanding regional efforts to contain Iran and the normalization of relations between Israel and US allies.

Two US officials and other sources familiar with the matter told Axios the plan is still in the early stages but is intended to guide the US’s actions in the Middle East after the conclusion of the Iran war and in the final years of US President Donald Trump’s term.

According to the officials, preliminary work on the strategy is taking place among the senior level of the Trump administration and at the working level across multiple government agencies.

Danielle Greyman-Kennard and Goldie Katz contributed to this report.