US envoy says more countries seek diplomatic ties with Israel
Steve Witkoff, the US Middle East envoy, suggested that additional countries in the Middle East are seeking to establish diplomatic relations with Israel and become part of the Abraham Accords, The New Arab reported on June 26th.
During an interview with CNBC, Witkoff stated that expanding the Abraham Accords is among US President Donald Trump’s top goals and that the process is already underway.
Witkoff expects that there will be “big announcements” on nations joining the accords. He stated: “We are hoping for normalisation across an array of countries that maybe people would have never contemplated would come in.”
Trump declared on June 25th that significant strides have been made to halt the violence in Gaza, Maghrebi via Middle East Eye reported. The president stated: “I think great progress is being made on Gaza.”
Israel’s military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, announced that the armed forces are now concentrating on rescuing hostages in Gaza and dismantling Hamas’s authority, Middle East Eye via Reuters reported on June 24th.
The Abraham Accords were first introduced in 2020 during Trump’s first presidency. The accords started with the UAE and Bahrain before they extended to Sudan and Morocco.
Witkoff’s remarks coincided with the distribution of images featuring a new billboard in Tel Aviv. The billboard displayed Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and various Arab and Gulf leaders beneath the phrase: “The Abraham Alliance: It’s time for a new Middle East.”
Recently, on June 26th, Trump called on Israel to “pardon” Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for purported corruption, or dismiss the case altogether, the BBC via Reuters reported.
According to Maghrebi on June 26th, Israel’s primary opposition figure, Yair Lapid, criticised Trump’s participation. Lapid remarked that the US president ought not to “intervene in a legal process of an independent state.” However, Trump characterised Netanyahu as a “warrior” who has made major contributions to Israel.
The New Arab, CNBC, Maghrebi.org, Middle East Eye, Reuters, BBC
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