The participation of three senior Arab diplomats in the recent Middle East-America Dialogue (MEAD) summit in Washington, DC, alongside Israeli representatives, coincided with the fourth anniversary of the historic Abraham Accords. The most prominent of the diplomats was Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the U.S., Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who participated in a panel with the Moroccan and Bahraini ambassadors to Washington.
Among the Israelis in attendance were Ambassador Mike Herzog, Minister of Economy Nir Barkat, Chairman of the National Unity party, Benny Gantz, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.
Though the content of the speeches and discussions at the summit remain confidential, the symbolic significance of this gathering is undeniable, especially in the wake of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. The participation of the three Arab ambassadors comes at a time when Israel is facing intense efforts attempting to delegitimize and isolate the Jewish State in the wake of the war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Their presence at the MEAD summit sends a message that these diplomats and their countries oppose calls for boycotting Israel.
Moreover, their willingness to attend a summit together with Israelis is an indication of their desire to pursue their relations with Israel. While Bahrain and Morocco, (as well as the United Arab Emirates) have already established diplomatic ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords, the participation of the Saudi Ambassador is of great significance.
Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the verge of finalizing a normalization agreement in the days leading up to October 7th. Hamas has since made it known that one of the objectives of the attack on Israeli communities near the border with the Gaza Strip was to thwart U.S-led efforts to encourage Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. The Saudis have since indicated more than once that they have not abandoned the idea of making peace with Israel, notwithstanding threats by Hamas and other Iran-backed Islamist terror organizations.
Public meetings between Arab and Israeli officials have been almost nonexistent since the start of the Gaza war 11 months ago. Despite this, while the war may have disrupted Israel's relations with the moderate Arab countries in some ways, it has failed to destroy them. Indeed, contrary to some expectations, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, did not sever diplomatic ties with Israel. Rather, we have seen an increase in their economic and trade relations with the Jewish State. For example, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the United Arab Emirates rose to 14th place among Israel's 126 trading partners. In the first seven months of 2024, trade in goods between Israel and the UAE reached $1.92 billion, a 4.47% increase compared to the same period last year.
Impact of October 7 on regional relations
The Gaza war posed a major challenge to the Abraham Accords Arab member states, many of whom have faced criticism from a slew of Arabs and Muslims for maintaining their relations with Israel. This reflects bold and pragmatic leadership on the part of the leaders of these countries, who have refused to succumb to the voices and threats of the extremists in the Arab and Islamic countries.
This brings to mind a quote from the signing ceremony of the Accords at the White House in 2020, UAE Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, expressed this brave stance: “Peace requires courage, and shaping the future requires knowledge. The advancement of nations requires sincerity and persistence." Since then, the leaders of the UAE as well as Bahrain and Morocco, have remained faithful to this commitment and vision.
While moderate Arab countries are holding the line and attempting to balance efforts between the Palestinian issue and securing regional stability, they also seem to be worried about the unwillingness of the U.S and other Western leaders to be assertive in the Middle East, especially since the beginning of the Gaza war.
These countries see how the U.S administration and some European Union countries are exerting heavy pressure on Israel, and not nearly enough of it on Hamas and other Iranian proxies, which effectively perpetuate the conflict but does not end it.
This leaves them wondering whether they can rely upon the West in the battle against the Iranian-led axis of evil. Their fear is that the West may not stand firm in the face of the threats against their countries, which has led them to develop their own independent foreign policy, separate from the needs and wishes of Washington. This explains why some of these Arab countries are reaching out to more adversarial countries such as Qatar, Turkey and Iran in search of strategic discussions and cooperation.
The past four years have shown that the Abraham Accords have weathered many storms. The rapprochement between moderate Arab countries and Qatar, Turkey and Iran is unlikely to affect the relations with Israel, but this does not mean that Israel and the West should take the Arab countries' adherence or commitment to the Abraham Accords for granted. It is imperative to take note of the messages they are sending and find ways to deepen and expand the cooperation with them. The UAE has recently signaled its willingness to play a key role in the post-Gaza war, including the possibility of being part of an Arab peacekeeping force. This is a development of unprecedented importance. The Emirati position could pave the way for other Arab countries to join these efforts, which would be a game-changer for the region.
Additionally, last April we saw the true face and strength of these alliances when a U.S-led coalition which included several regional countries, came to Israel’s aid at a crucial moment. Then, some of the Arab countries helped intercept hundreds of drones and guided missiles that were fired by Iran towards Israel. This demonstrates that these countries can in fact, play an important role in securing regional stability and preventing its deterioration.
The recent MEAD summit in Washington serves as a reminder that the Abraham Accords are still alive and well. The Saudi Ambassador's participation in the summit is a vote of confidence that will hopefully further boost the accords and pave the way for expanding them. But for this to happen we must remember the brave words of the UAE’s Foreign Minister, and all hold ourselves to the highest standard of courage, knowledge and persistence.
Yaara Segal served in the Foreign Ministry and is a former senior adviser to Israel’s ambassador in the UAE. She is a specialist on the Abraham Accords and a strategy and communications consultant on the MENA region.