Abraham Accords facts for kids
.jpg)
Representatives (left-to-right):
|
|
| Type | Normalization treaty |
|---|---|
| Context | Arab–Israeli conflict |
| Signed | September 15, 2020 |
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Negotiators |  United States |
| Signatories | Subsequent signatories: |
| Languages |
|
The Abraham Accords are special agreements between Israel and several Arab nations. These agreements aim to create normal relationships between these countries. The first agreements were signed on September 15, 2020. They were between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and between Israel and Bahrain.
The United States helped make these agreements happen. On August 13, 2020, the deal between Israel and the Emirates was announced. Then, on September 11, 2020, an agreement between Israel and Bahrain was announced. The official signing ceremony took place at the White House in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump, who was the US president at the time, hosted the event.
Through these agreements, the Emirates and Bahrain officially recognized Israel. This allowed them to set up full diplomatic relations. This means they could have embassies and work together like other countries. The agreement with the Emirates was the first time Israel had made such a deal with an Arab country since 1994. That was when the Israel–Jordan peace treaty was signed. The agreements were named "Abraham Accords" because Judaism and Islam both respect the prophet Abraham.
Later, on October 23, 2020, Israel and Sudan also agreed to normalize their ties. As part of this deal, the US removed Sudan from a list of countries that support terrorism. The US also gave Sudan a loan of $1.2 billion. On January 6, 2021, Sudan officially signed the "Abraham Accords Declaration." On December 22, 2020, Israel and Morocco also signed a similar agreement. In return for Morocco recognizing Israel, the United States recognized Morocco's control over Western Sahara.
Contents
Why the Accords Happened
For many years, there was a conflict between Israel and Palestinian groups. This made it hard for Israel to have normal relations with many Arab countries. However, things started to change in the 2010s.
- Many Arab countries, especially those with Sunni Muslim governments, started to see Iran as a shared concern. Iran's nuclear program worried them.
- This shared concern led to some quiet cooperation between Israel and certain Arab states.
- Officials from Israel and Arab countries began to meet more often. Sometimes, these meetings were even discussed openly in the news.
For example, in 2018, the foreign minister of Oman visited Jerusalem. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Oman. In the same year, an Israeli sports minister went to a judo event in Abu Dhabi. Israeli athletes won gold medals, and Israel's national anthem was played. This was a big step for a Gulf state.
In 2019, the US held a conference in Poland. Many Arab officials attended, along with Israeli leaders. This was the first time since 1991 that so many Arab and Israeli leaders were at the same international meeting about the Middle East.
In January 2020, President Trump announced a peace plan for the Middle East. This plan suggested that Israel would control certain areas in the West Bank. However, many people, including Palestinians, did not agree with this plan.
How the Agreements Happened
Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain Agreements
When Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister of Israel in May 2020, he talked about taking control of parts of the West Bank. This was part of Trump's peace plan. However, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) did not like this idea.
The Emirati ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, wrote an article. He warned that if Israel took control of West Bank land, it would stop any chance of peace with the Emirates. He told US officials that the Emirates would agree to normalize relations with Israel. But only if Israel stopped its plans to take over West Bank land.
The White House also had concerns about Israel's annexation plans. After many discussions, the UAE's offer became a way to avoid the annexation. This led to the normalization agreement in August 2020. As a result, Israel put its annexation plans on hold.
Hours after the agreement between Israel and the Emirates was announced, officials from Bahrain called the US. They said they wanted to be next to make a deal. Over the next month, US officials worked with Bahrain. Finally, on September 11, 2020, the deal was made.
The agreements were officially signed on September 15, 2020. This happened at the White House in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was very grand, like past historic peace treaties.
After the Gaza War
In November 2023, during the Gaza war, Bahrain said it had called back its ambassador from Israel. Israel's ambassador also left Bahrain. Israel stated that its relations with Bahrain were still stable.
Sudan Agreement
On October 23, 2020, Israel and Sudan agreed to normalize their relations. The US helped make this happen. As part of the deal, the US removed Sudan from its list of countries that support terrorism. The US also gave Sudan a loan to help pay off its debts. Sudan agreed to pay $335 million to American victims of terror. On January 6, 2021, Sudan signed the "Abraham Accords Declaration."
In February 2023, Israel and Sudan announced they had finished their agreement. The official signing was planned for after Sudan formed a civilian government. However, fighting in Sudan has delayed this.
Morocco Agreement
On December 10, 2020, President Trump announced another agreement. Israel and Morocco would establish full diplomatic relations. As part of this deal, the United States recognized Morocco's control over the Western Sahara.
Official Documents
Here are the main documents related to the Abraham Accords:
| Name | Official name | Date | Signatories | Full text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Declaration | The Abraham Accords Declaration | September 15, 2020 | United States, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain | |
| Israel–UAE Agreement | Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel | September 15, 2020 | Israel, United Arab Emirates, United States (witness) | |
| Bahrain–Israel Agreement | Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations | September 15, 2020 | Bahrain, Israel, United States (witness) |
What Happened Next
United Arab Emirates
In August 2020, the Emirates allowed direct phone calls to Israel for the first time. This was a big step in normalizing relations.
During the Gaza war in 2023, some people in the Emirates expressed frustration with the accords. However, Emirati officials did not say they would cut ties with Israel.
Morocco
In August 2021, Algeria cut ties with Morocco. One reason given was Morocco's agreement with Israel.
In November 2021, Israel and Morocco signed a security agreement. This was the first time Israel openly signed such a deal with an Arab state. It helps their defense groups work together more smoothly.
Oman
Oman decided to wait to normalize ties with Israel. In February 2021, Oman's Foreign Minister said they would keep talking with Israel. He also said Oman supports peace between Israel and Palestinians.
More Muslim Countries
In June 2023, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, warned Israel. He said that rising tensions with Palestinians could stop more Arab nations from making peace deals. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister also said that peace for Palestinians is needed for any normalization to be truly helpful.
Abraham Fund
The Abraham Fund was a program started by the US government. It aimed to raise $3 billion to help trade and farming in the region. It also wanted to improve access to clean water and electricity. The fund was supposed to support big projects.
However, the fund never received any money. No projects were ever started. After the Trump administration ended, the future of the fund became uncertain.
Jordan Solar Power Plant
In November 2021, Israel, the Emirates, and Jordan made a plan. Jordan would sell electricity from solar farms to Israel. These farms would be built by a UAE company. In return, Israel would sell desalinated water to Jordan. A new agreement was signed in November 2022. The final purchase agreements were supposed to be signed in November 2023. But they were postponed because of the Gaza war.
Economic Effects
.jpg)
Before the accords, Israel and the Emirates already had some business ties. This included diamond trading and high-tech industries. The accords opened the door for much more economic cooperation. This included official investments.
- In November 2021, an Israeli investment firm, OurCrowd Arabia, got a license in Abu Dhabi. This was the first Israeli venture capital firm to do so.
- Many Israeli and Emirati companies started working together. This included law firms and healthcare providers.
- New kosher restaurants opened in the Emirates for Jewish visitors.
- Emirati businesses started buying parts of Israeli companies. This included a football team and a port company.
Israel's Ministry of Defense reported that defense exports to countries that normalized relations reached $791 million.
Environmental Impact
In August 2021, news reports said that a secret oil deal was made. This deal was part of the Abraham Accords. It turned the Israeli city of Eilat into a place where Emirati oil goes before heading to Western markets.
This oil transport was expected to harm the Red Sea reefs. These reefs have a huge variety of corals. An oil spill could cause a major environmental disaster. This would affect the ecosystems of Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia too.
Working Together
The accords led to many joint efforts:
- In December 2020, groups from the Emirates and Bahrain visited Israel. They also visited the Golan Heights and Jerusalem. This was for cultural exchange.
- In January 2021, a special event was held to promote business between Gulf countries and Israel.
- From March 23–25, 2021, a virtual event called a "hackathon" took place. People from the Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Israel participated.
- On March 27, 2021, an event honored International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Participants included people from the Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
- In March 2021, the Israeli and Emirati national rugby teams played their first match. This was to celebrate the Abraham Accords.
- In June 2021, social media influencers from several Arab countries visited Magen David Adom. This is Israel's ambulance service. They learned about its life-saving work. Their visit was filmed for a movie called "Finding Abraham."
Public Opinion
Surveys show that in Arab countries that signed these agreements, most people do not view the Abraham Accords positively.
For example, in November 2022, 76% of people in Saudi Arabia said they had negative views of the accords. A poll in late 2023 showed that 96% of Saudis believed Arab nations should cut ties with Israel.
See Also
- Camp David Accords
- Egypt–Israel peace treaty
- Israel–Jordan peace treaty
- Arab–Israeli alliance
- Indo-Abrahamic Alliance
- Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
