Israel on Thursday, July 23, said Saudi Arabia’s entry into the Abraham Accords would mark “a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East”, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office renewed its call for the kingdom to normalise relations with Israel.
In a statement posted on social media, the Prime Minister’s Office said the recent joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran had “created the possibility to expand the circle of peace”, adding that military action against Tehran and the weakening of what it described as Iran’s “terror axis” had opened the way for broader regional cooperation.
The statement came after US President Donald Trump said a proposed agreement “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords”, referring to the US-brokered normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab countries.
Backing Trump’s position, Netanyahu’s office described Saudi Arabia’s participation in the accords as “a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East” and concluded the statement with the phrase, “Peace through Strength.”
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States during Trump’s first term, established diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Saudi Arabia explored normalisation with Israel in 2023 but suspended the process after the Gaza war began. Riyadh has since maintained that it will not recognise Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
A broader US-backed proposal linking Saudi-Israeli normalisation to cooperation on a civilian nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment in the kingdom, has also remained stalled over the Palestinian issue. Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, leaving a major obstacle to any future agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
