What Have the Abraham Accords Done for Israel?

In his book The Art of the Deal, former U.S. President Donald Trump wrote, “I like thinking big. I always have. To me it is very simple—if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.” It was this big thinking that led to the creation of the Abraham Accords, an agreement seeking to unite Israel with Arab nations in the region, on September 15, 2020.

Presidents often come to office hoping to bring about peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Arab nations surrounding it. Many of these nations have opposed Israel since its inception and desire to drive it into the Mediterranean Sea. But President Trump and his advisers Jared Kushner and Ambassador David Friedman presented an outside-the-box plan. As written in the Accords, they designed the agreement to “lead to a future in which all peoples and all faiths can live together in the spirit of cooperation and enjoy peace and prosperity where states focus on shared interests and building a better future.”

Prior to the Accords, the Trump Administration recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and moved the United States Embassy to Jerusalem, strengthening U.S. support for Israel and laying the groundwork for the agreement. The Abraham Accords were signed by Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The agreement normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and these neighboring Arab countries. 

A statement from the Accords expresses the heart of the agreement for all the countries and their relationship with Israel:

Recognizing that the Arab and Jewish peoples are descendants of a common ancestor, Abraham, and inspired, in that spirit, to foster in the Middle East a reality in which Muslims, Jews, Christians and peoples of all faiths, denominations, beliefs and nationalities live in, and are committed to, a spirit of coexistence, mutual understanding and mutual respect…

Other goals stated in the Accords include the following:

Aspiring to realize the vision of a Middle East region that is stable, peaceful, and prosperous, for the benefit of all States and peoples in the region…

Desiring to establish peace, diplomatic and friendly relations, co-operation and full normalization of ties between them and their peoples, in accordance with this Treaty, and to chart together a new path to unlock the vast potential of their countries and of the region…

Reaffirming also their shared belief that the establishment of peace and full normalization between them can help transform the Middle East by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations…

Emphasizing the belief that the normalization of Israeli and Emirati relations is in the interest of both peoples and contributes to the cause of peace in the Middle East and the world…

To have three Muslim nations that have opposed Israel in the past and have practiced terrorism in their own countries sign a document with such a commitment brings encouragement, inspiration, and hope for a changed climate in the Middle East generally and for Israel specifically. And these nations have reaped great benefits from the Accords. Israel has not only enjoyed peace with these nations but also cooperated with them to strengthen security, expand trade and commerce, and increase ties between Israelis and Arabs from other Middle East nations.

Not everyone in the region endorsed this development. On October 7, 2023, 3,000 Hamas terrorists attacked Israel in a brutal display of violence, murder, and kidnapping. They killed more than 1,200 in Israel and took 250 captive as hostages. Hamas leaders indicated that one purpose of their attack was to make other Arab nations think twice before making peace with Israel.

The assistance of Arab nations is a direct result of the Abraham Accords.

However, when Iran unleashed a rocket barrage of 300 drones and missiles on Israel on April 13, 2024, several nations cooperated with and assisted Israel either through sharing intelligence (such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Israel’s partner in the Accords) or in direct assistance militarily, as Jordan joined in the allied counterattack. The assistance of Arab nations is a direct result of the Abraham Accords.

In a time when antisemitism increases in its breadth and intensity, the Abraham Accords have proven their value for Israel, as peace with its Arab neighbors remains its desire and aim. May God hasten the day when lasting shalom (Hebrew for “peace”) and salaam (Arabic for “peace”) dominate in the Middle East. He is the One who brings true peace (Psalm 46:8–9).

About the Author

Tim Munger

Tim Munger is a Church Ministries Representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in the Detroit, Michigan area. Tim organizes and speaks at church conferences around the country.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons