Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, updated the US on efforts to establish diplomatic relations with more Middle East countries. The two discussed advancing additional normalization moves as part of expanding and deepening the Abraham Accords. The accords refer to the 2020 US-brokered agreements Israel signed with Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The statement added that Cohen met with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Jerusalem on Monday and discussed “the advancement of diplomatic steps in the region”.
Saudi Arabia has held off on following suit, saying Palestinian goals for statehood should be addressed first. Normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia has been a major goal set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and foreign minister Cohen last month said such a breakthrough was “on the table”. However, any such prospects have been clouded by Riyadh’s strains with US President Joe Biden, its recent rapprochement with regional foe Iran, and the rise of Netanyahu’s hard-right Israeli government.
