Israel, US officials meet Abraham Accords partners in New York to expand regional cooperation

Senior officials from Israel, the US, and Abraham Accords countries held their first multilateral meeting since January 2023 in New York, hosted by the N7 Foundation. The roundtable included Kazakhstan, which is preparing to join the framework. Discussions focused on translating diplomatic ties into practical cooperation in technology, trade, energy, and security, signaling a renewed push for regional integration after the Gaza war.

Senior officials from Israel, the United States, and Abraham Accords countries reconvened in New York on Thursday for the group's first multilateral meeting since January 2023, signaling renewed efforts to deepen regional cooperation after years of upheaval following the October 7 Hamas attack and the Gaza war. The high-level roundtable, convened by the N7 Foundation and chaired by its founder Jeffrey M. Talpins, brought together US Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker and senior officials from Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan's participation was a significant development, as it is preparing to join the Abraham Accords framework. Rather than focusing solely on additional normalization agreements, the meeting focused on translating diplomatic ties into practical cooperation in technology, trade, energy, water and food security, and strategic security. Participants reaffirmed the Accords' principles and discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration. The meeting does not represent a return to the pre-October 7 diplomatic environment, as the Gaza war has complicated Israel's relations with much of the Arab world. However, the decision by senior officials to return to a multilateral format is significant, placing regional integration back on the agenda alongside the Israeli-Palestinian question. The N7 Foundation said it would continue working with participating states to develop durable mechanisms for strategic cooperation.