What the Abraham Accords changed in six years – opinion

Political analyst Roman Yanushevsky examines the six-year results of the Abraham Accords. The main change is the abandonment of linking normalization to Palestinian statehood. Trade, air travel, and security cooperation between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco have developed. The war in Gaza posed a serious test, but countries did not sever ties. Saudi Arabia remains a key question.

Political analyst and editor-in-chief of 9tv.co.il Roman Yanushevsky analyzes the six-year results of the Abraham Accords. The main change, in his view, is the abandonment of the previous diplomatic formula that linked Arab normalization to the resolution of the Palestinian issue. The UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco moved toward rapprochement based on their own state and economic interests. The most noticeable development has been in relations between Israel and the UAE: trade grew, air travel and investment contacts expanded. Security cooperation, especially against the backdrop of the Iranian threat, brought countries closer than diplomatic ceremonies. The war in Gaza after October 7, 2023, posed a serious test, but countries did not break diplomatic relations, although interaction became more cautious. Saudi Arabia remains the main unresolved issue. Yanushevsky notes that the accords created not a formal alliance but a system of intersecting interests, where practical cooperation proved stronger than previous diplomatic constraints.