The Abraham Accords, signed on the White House lawn in November 2020, solidified full diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. The Sudan and Morocco agreements are still being negotiated, but they are expected to have similar effects.
There is widespread speculation about the implications of these agreements. Given the paradigmatic shift in Middle Eastern relations, discourse has ranged from how normalization will realign the Middle East, to the opportunity these new relations offer to foster peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The significance of these agreements and pending agreements cannot be overstated: in Israel’s 72 years of existence, only Egypt and Jordan had formally recognized Israel as a sovereign state. Normalization with these four new countries will substantially reduce Israel’s diplomatic isolation in the region, bolster her economy through tourism and direct flights between these countries, and add to Israel’s legitimacy, a longstanding goal of the Israeli government, which has been battling international delegitimization for decades.