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Israeli Leader Netanyahu Says Saudi Arabia Joining 'Abraham Accords' Is Historic Leap For Middle-East
Israeli Leader Netanyahu Says Saudi Arabia Joining 'Abraham Accords' Is Historic Leap For Middle-East
NEWS
The Nigerian Record
7/23/20262 min read
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has described the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords as "a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East," following remarks by United States President Donald Trump linking a proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh to the kingdom's recognition of Israel.
In a statement on Thursday, Netanyahu's office said Saudi Arabia's participation in the U.S.-brokered accords would mark a major breakthrough for regional peace and stability.
The statement came after President Trump said a newly announced civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia would only move forward if Riyadh normalised diplomatic relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords.
According to earlier reports by Al Jazeera, Trump made the remarks on his Truth Social account, where he wrote that the agreement "will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords".
Trump's comments, made a day after the agreement was announced, have created uncertainty over the scope of the deal, whose full details have yet to be made public.
Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to Trump's assertion. Should Riyadh agree to establish formal relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, it would represent a significant shift in the kingdom's longstanding position, as Saudi Arabia has historically opposed normalisation without progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that Washington and Riyadh had signed "a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership" alongside a "bilateral safeguard agreement" to support the development of a civilian nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia.
The Abraham Accords were brokered by the United States in 2020 and led to the normalisation of diplomatic, economic and security relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
According to a publication on the U.S. Department of State's website, the accords are intended to strengthen peace in the Middle East and globally through mutual understanding, coexistence, and respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom.
The State Department states: "We encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity. We believe that the best way to address challenges is through cooperation and dialogue and that developing friendly relations among States advances the interests of lasting peace in the Middle East and around the world."
Netanyahu's latest remarks underscore Israel's continued push to expand the Abraham Accords by bringing Saudi Arabia into the framework, a move widely viewed as one of the most significant diplomatic objectives in the region.
If achieved, Saudi Arabia's accession would reshape Middle East geopolitics and deepen the regional realignment initiated under the accords in 2020.