Israel and the Abraham Accords: A Failed Expansion

The document argues that Israel's ambition to expand the Abraham Accords, particularly to Saudi Arabia, has been thwarted by a combination of far-right domestic policies and Saudi Arabia's strategic pivot toward normalization with Iran, Syria, and Hamas. While existing agreements with states like the UAE remain economically robust, the brief notes that the current Israeli government's actions in the West Bank and its judicial reforms have strained relations with the US and Jordan, while removing the primary incentive for Saudi engagement.

• Israel's goal of expanding the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia has been blocked by Saudi Arabia's decision to prioritize normalization with Iran and Syria over engagement with Israel.
• The Saudi-Iran normalization agreement signed on 10 March 2023, mediated by China, removed the shared enmity toward Iran that served as the primary driver for potential Israeli-Saudi cooperation.
• The current far-right Israeli government has undermined the possibility of a Palestinian settlement through military attacks in the West Bank and the de facto annexation of territories by transferring legal authority from the IDF to the Minister of Finance.
• Relations between Israel and Jordan have reached a low point due to the actions of far-right ministers, including Itamar Ben Gvir's visit to the Haram al-Sharif and Bezalel Smotrich's denial of the existence of a Palestinian people.
• Existing Abraham Accords, particularly with the UAE, remain resilient primarily due to significant economic interests, such as a free-trade agreement that generates $2 billion annually, despite symbolic diplomatic friction over Israeli policies.
• Domestic instability in Israel, driven by massive protests against judicial reforms intended to reduce the judiciary's independence, has created tensions with the United States government.

APA

Jensehaugen, J. (2023). Israel and the Abraham Accords: A Failed Expansion. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1c9183fd-f15a-4ee0-8b60-a7c5c6540858/Jensehaugen - Israel and the Abraham Accords A Failed Expansion MidEast Policy Brief 2-2023.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Jensehaugen, Jørgen. Israel and the Abraham Accords: A Failed Expansion. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2023. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1c9183fd-f15a-4ee0-8b60-a7c5c6540858/Jensehaugen - Israel and the Abraham Accords A Failed Expansion MidEast Policy Brief 2-2023.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jensehaugen |first1=Jørgen |title=Israel and the Abraham Accords: A Failed Expansion |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=February 2023 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1c9183fd-f15a-4ee0-8b60-a7c5c6540858/Jensehaugen - Israel and the Abraham Accords A Failed Expansion MidEast Policy Brief 2-2023.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jensehaugen2023israel, author = {Jensehaugen, Jørgen}, title = {{Israel and the Abraham Accords: A Failed Expansion}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1c9183fd-f15a-4ee0-8b60-a7c5c6540858/Jensehaugen - Israel and the Abraham Accords A Failed Expansion MidEast Policy Brief 2-2023.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }